RTVS Book 1 : Changes in the World
by Felix Webster
Summary: The Powers That Be need to find a new Slayer as Buffy Summers has died (sorta), while searching for a the new Slayer to be they sense an old canidate they didn't realize still existed and choose that girl, Unfortunately it's Ranma Saotome.
1. Death, Rebirth, Life, and Learning

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 1  
  
----------  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
---------  
  
Series points:  
Buffy: The Dream world were Buffy died for a short time and became a Vampire. That's right folks. . . NO FAITH!  
  
Ranma: About a month after Saffron. Yes I know Ranma is incredibly powerful at this time but it's a good place of deviation.  
  
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-Death-  
  
Buffy closed her eyes as the life left her body to be filled with the flow of power that the evil brought her. The Powers That Be felt the sudden loss of connection to their champion and as it was written eons ago their powers spread out looking for one born to hold that which they had to offer.  
  
The energy searched the world in mere seconds to find the next more perfect vessel. At first they thought they found the one they wanted, a girl who had experienced a hard life and would do well as a loner. She was one they passed up on before and now would be her time.   
  
As The Powers That Be were about to infuse the girl with their gift when they felt a sudden flash of power nearly half a world away. It was a familiar essence, one they hadn't felt in tens of centuries by the mortal count. It was the essence of a girl who was to have been given the gift but had died in a very tragic way before they could come to her. They had felt her essence a few times in the years since but it was never at a time when they could offer her the birthright she was due. Now was the time.  
  
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-Rebirth-  
  
"RANMA!" Akane screamed as she ran into the livingroom and threw her textbook at the offending teenage boy who leapt out the door into the backyard.  
  
"What did I do this TIME!?!" Ranma yelled back as he landed and caught the book.  
  
  
"YOU IDIOT! You were supposed to have met me at the school after my rehearsal!" Akane responded as she started to attack the pigtailed boy in anger.  
  
Ranma started weaving and dodging every attack with ease as he smiled at the girl, "I told you I ain't goin' near that school unless I havta. And I have no reason ta go see your rehearsals."  
  
"IDIOT! I wanted to show you the dress I'm going to be wearing in the play!" Akane kept up her attack giving no ground even though it was getting her nowhere. "You know I can't bring it home yet!"  
  
"Why would I wanta see a dress?" Ranma responded as he stuck out his tongue at her. "I mean it'll be such a waste being worn be such a tomboy!"  
  
"RANMA! You be nicer to your fiancé!" Nodoka called out from her place at the table she was having tea with Kasumi.  
  
"But Mom!" Ranma turned to face the house for a moment unhappily, unfortunately this gave Akane her one and only chance.  
  
Striking out low with her foot, Akane caught Ranma off balance and then came up and pushed with all her might. Ranma had caught himself enough to counter most of the push and instead of face planting with the wall he ended up over the pond. With a splash he, now a she sat up in the water.  
  
"Whatcha do that f. . . .Aaaaughhguuhhgaahghh," Ranma-chan started to shout back then she was engulfed in a field of electricity causing her to spasm violently.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane screamed in panic as she ran to the edge of the koi pond reaching out but not daring to touch the red haired girl for fear of the shock spreading.  
  
Nabiki stuck her head out of the window as her computer started to go wonky looking for what could be causing it only to see Nodoka and Kasumi run up besides her little sister and look in horror at the wildly thrashing girl in the koi pond. It took her a moment to realize it was Ranma in his girl form but when she did she ran down to the phone to make a few calls knowing her family wouldn't think of it until it was too late.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity to her but was only a matter of seconds, Ranma-chan finally collapsed face down into the pond water as the surge stopped flowing trough her form. She did hear Akane's calls of panic or when she was picked up from the water, nor did she feel anything again for a long time.  
  
"It'll be okay, Slayer," was all she heard from somewhere deep within herself and it caused her to relax despite herself.  
  
  
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-Life-  
  
"Is he going to be alright?" a voice she could barely remember asked out in the darkness.  
  
"She's had a very bad shock to her nervous system," another older and more confident voice replied. "We still don't know what caused it, but it seems to have done little to no damage to her physically. . . Mentally we'll find out when and if she wakes up."  
  
"My Son as been in this state for four days now Doctor, shouldn't he have woken up by now?" one more voice asked, this on she knew as her mind started to uncloud and she found herself starting to think.  
  
"Your. . .Son? is in a coma caused by an accident of the unexplained. We have no idea how to bring HER out of it or how long it'll last."  
  
"I. . . I think I'm awake," Ranma-chan chocked out as she started to open her eyes then flinched at the brightness of the room.  
  
"Ranma!" was the next thing she heard as she was suddenly engulfed be a pair of strong but thin arms that seemed to want to squeeze the remaining life out of her.  
  
"A. .Akane, I'm. . okay. . .need. . . ta breathe."  
  
Akane released the red head and looked away embarrassed, "Sorry. . ."  
  
"It's. . . okay, I'm happy ta be here too," Ranma-chan replied as she worked out the kinks in her neck. The noticed the fact that she was still a she in a blue paper hospital gown.  
  
"Why am I still a girl?" She asked in annoyance to her Mother who was on the verge of crying.  
  
"We tried to change you back, but the Doctors here kept stopping us," Akane replied when she noticed the Aunty Nodoka wasn't able to respond.  
  
"These. . . people kept trying to pour hot water on you as you slept," The Doctor stated looking the two woman beside him in disdain. "I was considering calling for a psych test for both of them since they seem to believe that you would turn into a boy with the water."  
  
"Could I have some hot water?" Ranma-chan asked calmly not bothering comment on the Doctor's statement as to her Mother's or Akane's sanity. "I'd like some tea ta get this horrible taste out of my mouth."  
  
The Doctor called out for some tea then started an examination of his charge while they waited for a Nurse to bring in the cup. Taking the hot water Ranma-chan motioned the Doctor away from herself for a moment then dumped the contents over her head triggering the change.   
  
Everyone watched as the girl became a boy, then a girl, then a boy, then a girl again and finally ending as a boy. Ranma was panting from an effort he'd never experienced before in the change. . . it was almost as if the curse didn't want to leave his body.  
  
The Doctor looked on in wide-eyed shock as Nodoka gave him a smug look, "Who's crazy now?"  
  
"Ranma?. . . Are you okay?" Akane asked in true concern as she came up to the bed and gave him a good look. His hair still seemed to have a touch of red in it, only a few strands but it was still there.  
  
"Somethin's wrong with the curse," Ranma replied giving Akane a look of panic.  
  
----------  
  
-Knowledge-  
  
"I don't know what's wrong with your curse Son-in-law," Cologne stated as she looked up from her readings. "What you described hasn't happened to any other victim with out outside intervention, and I haven't seen or felt anything like that in the area since the problems with Herb."  
  
"I didn't think you could help on this one, I hoped but I knew better," Ranma said sadly then remembered something he felt might be important.   
  
"Um, what do you know about something called a Slayer?" he asked as he looked up only to see Cologne's eyes go wide. "What? Is this Slayer thing important?"  
  
"How do you know about that?" Cologne asked still shocked by the boy.  
  
"When I started to blackout something inside my mind told me everything was going ta be okay, and it called me 'Slayer'," Ranma replied giving the old woman a harder look. "Does it have something to do with me killing Saffron? I mean he's alive after all but something like that is. . ."  
  
"The Slayer has nothing to do with Saffron, at least not directly," Cologne waved off his concern as she turned very serious. "If you have been chosen it could explain why your curse is. . . changing."  
  
"What is a Slayer!?!" Ranma asked his patience finally gone.  
  
Cologne sighed as hopped over to a bookcase in the corner of the workroom she kept at the Nekohanten and pulled out a very old looking western style book. Hopping back over to the table she opened it to about midway and sat down next to it.  
  
"This book is an account of our village's three known chosen ones, the west calls them Slayers. The world has great evil invading it from all sides trying to control or destroy the people. There has always been people who would fight back, from the beginning of mankind and there will until mankind either loses completely or has destroyed all evil. But normal people are no match for the greater evils that come to this realm and the Powers That Be decided that a champion was needed to fight and lead us against those who try to destroy us."  
  
"What about all the Chi and Ki stuff you, me and the others can do? I know we ain't like normal people, shouldn't we be enough to face these evils?" Ranma asked confused. "Why would we need a single champion?"  
  
"The techniques we use and the level of power we have attained were developed many many years after this original time. They were developed this the same reason as why the Slayer was created," Cologne explained calmly. "But the Slayer is still more important to the continuing existence of our kind. Now listen up and I'll explain."  
  
"It is written that in each generation a Slayer will be born. Only after that one's death will another be made," Cologne read from the book then looked up and gave an evil smile. "You have to love the ambiguity of lines like that. The truth is that in a generation several potential Slayers are born, when one dies another is gifted with the power of the Slayer. This so that there is always an active Slayer."  
  
"So I was born with the potential of becoming a Slayer? Is that why I'm so good at the Art?"  
  
Cologne tried desperately not to laugh out loud as she explained, "No Son-in-law, I doubt you were born with the potential. Your talents, amazing as they are, are yours and yours alone."  
  
"What? How could you know that?" Ranma looked on in confusion. He was happy to know his skills were his own and not some high ordained deities idea of a mission.  
  
"Because Son-in-law, all the Slayers ever born have been female," Cologne replied with a smirk.  
  
"WHAT!?!" Ranma stood up in shock. "How could a girl be the champion of the human race!?!"  
  
Cologne bopped the boy on the head then continued when he finally sat down rubbing his hair, "The Slayer is a vessel for the power of those beyond us. Their choosing a 'Girl' to be the champion is their purgative and not ours, but they did and it only passes to another 'Girl'. Usually one in her early to mid teens."  
  
"But I'm a GUY!" Ranma shouted out and received another bop on the head.  
  
"Who changes into a teenage girl," Cologne pointed out smirking again. "The Powers That Be have been know to have a sense of humour."  
  
"And this 'gift' is what's messin' up my curse?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I don't want it! They can have it back!" Ranma yelled angrily as he looked to the heavens.  
  
"That won't happen Son-in-law, the only way the power passes is upon your death," Cologne stated calmly. "Until then you will just have to suffer with the gifts it grants you."  
  
"What gifts?" Ranma looked confused again.  
  
"The Slayer is given greater strength, faster reflexes. She is harder to hurt, and heals from wounds faster than others. She has an talent for learning how to fight and finds the fight more enjoyable than most people."  
  
"Sounds familiar," Ranma stated giving the old ghoul a raised eyebrow and a smirk.  
  
"Yes, it does," Cologne replied rolling her eyes up. "I know you already seem to posses these same abilities, but yours were built from years of training and focussing you Ki, these are given."  
  
"So the girl who becomes the Slayer is a suddenly a martial master? That's kinda cheap," Ranma replied still unhappy. "It's like cheating, but I guess it's the only way a girl could be as strong as guy. . .OW! Whatcha do that one for!?!"  
  
Cologne lowered her staff again and looked to the heavens, "You had best be laughing."  
  
"Listen Son-in-law, these powers will probably enhance your already impressive abilities, but the fact that no Jusenkyo victim, let alone a male, has ever been chosen before means that there is no telling what consequences this will have on you," Cologne explained to the boy. "You find that you will be unable to change back to a boy soon."  
  
"NO WAY! I'm a GUY and I won't be stuck as a GIRL!" Ranma stood in defiance again and this time dodged the staff before it struck. "There has to be a solution. A cure!"  
  
"I know of none," Cologne replied as she closed the book and looked at the cover for a moment and the symbol that was etched on it's leather. "But others may of more help."  
  
Turning towards the boy again she gave a unhappy smile, "Ranma, there will be someone coming to meet you soon, I give it only a couple of days at most. They will represent a group that normally trains the Slayer for her coming battles with the forces of evil. If they come I want you to contact me immediately please."  
  
Ranma looked down at the Amazon Elder a little shocked, she had done two things she had never done before. One, she called him Ranma and not Son-in-law, and two she had said please to a request of him. "Um, sure."  
  
"Good, now I would suggest that you activate your curse and stay in that form until they show up, it'll help them to find you," Cologne continued as she started to lead the boy out of the room.  
  
"But I don't want ta be a GIRL!" Ranma exclaimed loudly pulling the attention of the entire restaurant.  
  
"If you wish to find a cure for this you need the help of these people, and they may not be able to find you if you stay a boy," Cologne replied rolling her eyes again. "You do want to be cured, right?"  
  
"Um, yeah," Ranma looked slightly embarrassed by his outburst. "Okay, okay I'll stay a girl."  
  
"Good."  
  
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Author's Notes:  
  
This was in response to a challenge to write a Buffy/Ranma fanfiction. I'm posting it here in it's first form as it really hasn't been proofed yet by any one of my pre-readers. I'll have a better version up when they get back to me.  
  
First things first, I may not follow the story in BTVS closely. Although I've recently seen the repeats on the local Space channel I'll probably forget most of it sooner then I get to the chapters. I will be leading up to the Mayor's big day. . . but with major changes as Ranma-chan isn't likely to go the way Faith did. 


	2. Watchers

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 2  
  
----------  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
---------  
  
Series points:  
  
Buffy: The Dream world were Buffy died for a short time from drowning. Ranma is replacing Kendra. . . And since I have no plans of killing either Buffy or Ranma in this story there will be no Faith.  
  
Ranma: About a month after Saffron. Yes I know Ranma is incredibly powerful at this time but it's a good place of deviation.  
  
----------  
  
- Watchers -  
  
Ranma-chan sat unhappily at the family table, it was the fourth day of her enforced stay as a girl and it was getting on her nerves. Four days and no one showing up to figure out what was wrong with the curse, she was starting to think the old ghoul was finally off her rocker. . . or off her stick, Ranma-chan couldn't remember ever seeing Cologne in a rocker before.  
  
"BOY! Why do you insist on doing this foolish thing!?!" Genma said in annoyance as he looked over from his game, missing Soun rearranging the board as was usual.  
  
"Are you trying to get our heads cut off?" he added in a harsh whisper everyone in the room could hear.  
  
"It's not my idea to do this! But the old ghoul said that I had too so some people who can help me can find me," Ranma-chan replied as he narrowed his eyes at his father. "I told you that yesterday, and the day before and the day before that."  
  
"And besides, Mr. Saotome, your wife declared Ranma manly before he went to China to deal with Saffron," Nabiki added from her place on the couch where she was watching tv with Akane.  
  
"Yeah, she seemed impressed at how much of a pervert he turned out to be," Akane stated over the edge of the couch as she stuck out her tongue at Ranma-chan.  
  
"Gee, thanks," Ranma-chan replied sarcastically as she went back to her manga.  
  
A knock at the front gates made all of them look up as Kasumi went to answer the door. After a bit quiet talking she finally came back into the room followed by three older gajin males and one Japanese woman.  
  
"Ranma, these people seem to be here to talk to you," Kasumi stated sweetly as the Japanese woman bowed and the men gave strong nods.  
  
"We apologize for the intrusion, but a matter of great importance has brought us here," the woman started but Ranma-chan wouldn't let her continue.  
  
"It's about time you guys got here! I've been waiting for FOUR days!" she stated, her eyes wide almost looking frantic.  
  
"I. . I don't understand, you where waiting for us?" the woman asked looking as shocked as the men behind her.  
  
"Well, yeah! You're the people who deal with this stupid Slayer stuff right?"  
  
"Y. .You know about being the Slayer?" the woman stuttered in disbelief. "But how?"  
  
"Oh yeah! Um, Kasumi? Could ya give Cologne a call and tell her that the people we've been waiting for FINALLY showed up?" Ranma-chan asked over her shoulder with a smile then turned back to the foursome. "Could we hold off for a few minutes as a. . friend comes and add her two bits in?"  
  
"This person would be the one who told you about the Slayer?" asked the older of the three males behind the woman. His three piece suit was obviously expensive and this brought Nabiki over to the table so she could find out what she could profits she could get from this.  
  
The four talked among themselves at the table over the tea that Kasumi and Nodoka had brought out. Ranma-chan was sitting on the back porch with Akane waiting for Cologne to get there. Nabiki kept asking annoying questions of the men about what kind of business they represented but kept getting non answers that seemed okay on the surface but she was skilled enough to know was false.  
  
Cologne finally showed up and requested that only Ranma-chan, herself and the four visitors be present for the discussion. This caused several arguments mostly from Nodoka and Nabiki who felt they had a right to know what was going on. Ranma-chan finally had to tell them to leave as sternly as she had ever been with her mother, it was only the reassurance on her honour that she'd tell them what was going on after that got them to leave.  
  
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"Now that we are alone. . ." Cologne started but paused when Ranma-chan stood up suddenly and walked over to the couch. Grabbing a microphone from the other side she disconnected it then walked back to the table. "I hope that was the only one."  
  
"It should be," Ranma-chan replied then turned back to the guests.  
  
"Now as I was saying, now that we are alone I thing introductions are in order, don't you?" Cologne stated with a partial smile.  
  
"I'm more interested in who, or what you are," the youngest man stated coldly in Japanese almost as good as the woman beside him. "We don't talk with demons."  
  
Cologne narrowed her eyes at the young man and then struck before he realized it causing him to rub his head, "I am an Elder of the Joketsuzoku Village of Chinese Amazons youngster, not a demon."  
  
"Yeah, she an old ghoul not a demon. . .Ow!" Ranma-chan rubbed her own head at the bop cringing slightly. "I was gonna say that Happosai was the demon if they were looking for one!"  
  
"I am a very old woman. Now who are you?" Cologne finished as she looked away from Ranma-chan and back to the group.  
  
"I am Miyabi Gozumi, I represent the Japanese portion of The Council," The woman gave a full traditional bow. "We have been the Slayer's watchers for the multitudes of Slayers born."  
  
"I wasn't born a Slayer, it just sorta happened against my will," Ranma- chan stated in annoyance.  
  
"Hush, child," Cologne waved off the girl.  
  
"We are members of the European charter of The Council, Elder," the oldest man stated giving a fairly decent sitting bow for a westerner. "It is our job to guard the world from the evil which seeks to destroy it."  
  
"Gee, I thought that was my job," Ranma-chan said under her breathe sarcastically.  
  
"We find ourselves in an unfortunate position as of late. We are usual prepared at the birth of a possible Slayer at their birth, but it seems in the past few generations The Powers has started to chose those we have no idea existed. This is the case again this time," the man explained to both the old woman and the red haired girl. "It leads to girls coming into their gift without someone to guide them to their destinies. The last one proved to be more of a handful for her Watcher than was expected and it seems to have lead to her death."  
  
"She died?" Ranma-chan asked not looking happy about the news.  
  
"I told you before that for the gift to pass one Slayer has to die and the next with the potential is given the gift," Cologne reminded calmly. "So you sent an untrained girl against the monsters, hmm?"  
  
"It wasn't our plan, she was what we got at a very dangerous time. And her training was going extremely well according to her Watcher, he said she took to fighting incredibly," the youngest man replied then closed his mouth when the older man gave him a harsh look.  
  
"I may ask, how do you know so much about the Slayer?" the woman asked with a curious smile.  
  
Cologne snickered to herself, she meant it to be a giggle but at her age it came out wrong, "My village has produced three Slayers in the past three thousand years of existence, and the last one was my younger sister."  
  
"I see," the older man stated with a smile. "So what we have to say next will be of no surprise to you."  
  
"Not really, but you people are in for some real surprises from your new Slayer," Cologne snickered back.  
  
"What do you. . . just a second," the youngest man answered his cell phone that had chosen that moment to ring. Getting up he walked out the patio doors.  
  
"We are in a bit of problem right now. The last Slayer was in the hottest spot of demon activity our records have seen, and we need to get a Slayer there as soon as possible," the woman stated looking worried.  
  
"I just want a cure for the problem this gift has caused me," Ranma-chan said in annoyance. "I don't wanna be stuck as a girl forever!"  
  
"Excuse me? What?" the oldest man asked in Confusion not sure he had heard the girl right.  
  
"This 'GIFT' has started ta create problems with my curse, I am having problems changin' back inta a boy and there is a chance I may not be able ta much longer," Ranma-chan explained then crossed her arms looking very angry. "And Cologne says you can help me, so help!"  
  
"Very tactful, Child," Cologne stated shaking in disbelief at the girl's direct attacks, be it verbal or martial. . . She was almost as bad as the Tendo girl at times.  
  
"Curse? What curse. . . Could you explain what you are talking about?" the older man asked giving them a bewildered look.  
  
"I'm talking about this," Ranma-chan stated as she pick up her still warm tea and dumped it over her head. The change was long and drawn out switching back and forth several times until it settled on a larger boy sitting in the same spot as the girl once was. He looked simular to the girl in features and a streak of red was obvious in his hair coming over his left eye. "The girl you saw was my curse."  
  
"What just happened?" the older man asked the other man beside him who hadn't said a word since coming in.  
  
The man's eyes narrowed and started to glow then he blinked and turned solemn again, "Jusenkyo?"  
  
"Yep," Ranma replied unhappily back.  
  
"What is Jusenkyo?" the older man asked still confused.  
  
"It's an ancient training grounds near the Joketsuzoku village this Elder is from," the man started to explain as he nodded to Cologne. "It holds hundreds of springs, each one is enchanted with a curse causing who ever fall into one to became what originally drowned in it centuries ago. It's activated by water, one temperature activates the cursed form and the other temperature undoes it for a time."  
  
"So. . . you are a boy?" the older man asked Ranma in shock.  
  
"Yeah, I was born a boy, I was raised a boy, I just happen to turn inta a girl from time to time," Ranma replied annoyed.  
  
"But. . . the Slayer has to be a girl! How could THIS happen?" the older man asked his associate again, his eyes still wide in shock. What he got back from that was a shrug from the other man.  
  
"I know the answer to that, "Cologne stated with an evil smile.  
  
"And?" the man asked trying to get her to elaborate.  
  
"I'll tell you for a favour," Cologne continued to smile.  
  
"What do you want?" the man asked slowly stressing the fact he didn't like th idea of negotiating for information.  
  
"I want to go with Ranma, to continue the training I have started with him," She replied. "I've invested a lot of time and effort in this boy and I want to finish what I have started."  
  
"I can't allow it! The Watcher, Slayer relationship that needs to be built can't have on outsider interfering in it."  
  
"You happen to be the outsider here, youngster," Cologne corrected firmly. "I have trained Ranma several times in secrets of my tribe and I wish to increase that training in the future. To do that I have to where he is, and that would be easier if you accepted my presence. If you do not. . . well you will still find me there to train him when I want to and it will cause your 'Watcher' much grief."  
  
"Ranma. . ." Miyabi said quietly to herself trying to remember the name, then it snapped into place. "Oh Kami-sama, it can't be!"  
  
"What did you say?" the older man asked her what her outburst was about.  
  
"Oh, Kami-sama it is! You're Ranma Saotome!" Miyabi stated loudly and received a confused nod from the boy in question. "I should have realized it! This is Nerima! The Tendo Dojo in Nerima! Of course you could only be Ranma Saotome!"  
  
"What are you going on about?" the older man asked her again then turned to his other companion with a simular question but found him in as wide eyed shock as the woman. "Who is he?"  
  
"Saffron!" Miyabi stated almost looking scared.  
  
"Saffron," the other man confirmed with a nod as Ranma looked on almost as confused as the older man.  
  
"Saffron?" the man asked looking worried, mostly because his companions were worried.  
  
"Document Report Eastern division number 12538, Ranma Saotome's destruction of the godling known as Saffron," the man to his left explained calmly, almost unnaturally. "This boy killed a god."  
  
"Saffron's still alive. . . just a lot younger than he was," Ranma replied quickly.  
  
"He is?" the man asked in shock.  
  
"Um, yeah. You can't really kill him, all it does is make him go through a rebirth and become a very young child to be raised," Ranma explained worried something was really wrong now.  
  
"I see," the older man replied looking somewhat impressed. "Well that's a good start for a Slayer's career. Now why did The Powers chose him?"  
  
"Do you agree?" Cologne countered.  
  
"Yes, I agree," the man replied in annoyance. "Her. . . His Watcher will just have to adjust."  
  
"It's simple actually, The Powers That Be didn't chose a boy. Ranma was a girl at the time the Gift came so it was that body The Powers sought out," Cologne explained still smiling. "That form, although made to look simular to Ranma, is really the essence of the poor girl who drowned in that cursed spring. The girl must have been a possible candidate to become a Slayer, and when your last Slayer died it found this one waiting to receive. . . especially since Ranma is a magnet for things like magic."  
  
"That wasn't simple," Ranma stated looking confused.  
  
"The girl who drowned was a possible Slayer. When you are a girl you have part of her essence active and The Powers That Be saw it when trying to chose the next Slayer. You were given the Gift because of the curse," Cologne explained to the boy then looked back at the trio. "You will have to a balancing spell to stop the interaction between the Gift and the curse, or Ranma's body may go through a magical backlash. Most likely one of the Callings of Lionna spells, since her work was based on sex changing."  
  
"You seem knowledgeable about these things, why can't you do the spell?" Miyabi asked confused.  
  
Cologne gave the woman an even gaze and decided she wasn't being insulting, "I am knowledgeable in herds and potions, not spells. . . It's failing but I chose to train in the tribal fighting style instead of that training. My sister excelled in casting, but she was chosen to a life of fighting with the hand instead of the word. . . it's a strange world."  
  
"Okay, okay. I'm lost now," Ranma stated looking worried. "You say I need a spell cast on me to stop the problems I've been going through or else something bad happens? Well why don't we do it quickly?"  
  
"It's not so simple, there is only one copy of 'The Callings of Lionna' that the Council has is currently at the Hellmouth where the last Slayer died. Her Watcher has it. . . we think." the other man stated again looking unnatural until the last bit where he looked confused.  
  
"We think?" the older man asked looking concerned.  
  
"It was recorded as checked out and hasn't been returned to the library as of yet, although it isn't due for about two weeks."  
  
"I knew it was a mistake to allow Giles to put the books on the shelves of a highschool library," the older man replied pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head depressed.  
  
Cologne laughed, "I have to meet this man! What better way to find out who is a potential student of the arts, and who is trying to do what kind of magic. And to keep a physical record that is expected of those being watched, quite ingenious."  
  
"But that book is needed isn't it?" Ranma asked in concern. "What are gonna do?"  
  
"Go there of course," Cologne replied plainly. "It was what was planned in the first place, since they need you there anyhow."  
  
"You mean I havta leave here?"  
  
"For the sake of the world, yes," Cologne looked at the boy with a small frown. "The biggest problems to the world's survival is always in a place referred to as the 'Hellmouth' and the Slayer has to be there to save all of us from the evil that migrate there."  
  
"Where's this Hellmouth now?" Ranma asked still unhappy about things, but duty was important to him. He had realized that the so called Gift was for a reason, and his being picked meant he had a responsibility to fulfill most likely a fight. And he NEVER backed down from a fight.  
  
"A place called Sunnydale in the United States west coast," Miyabi replied.  
  
"Fine, lets go," Ranma stated as he go up and crossed his arms seeming to be waiting for the others to get up and head out that minute.  
  
"Don't you need to pack or say goodbye to your family?" Miyabi asked confused.  
  
"Bag's upstairs already packed, always is. I'm sure the old. . . Cologne has already made arrangements for herself since she knew I'd be leaving," Ranma stated getting a nod of confirmation for the Elder. "And the entire family already knows what's been said in here since I only found the most obvious microphone. We'll send information as to where to find us after we get there, I want to get this problem cured quickly."  
  
"I'll make the arrangements for travel as soon as we are in the car," the older man stated looking impressed at the boy. He started thinking to himself why couldn't all the Slayers be boys like this one.  
  
The younger man came back into the room in a rush, his eyes wide in shock and confusion, "Buffy Summers is alive!"  
  
----------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
This is a first draft. It's a little long winded and since it's an explanation piece it kinda has to be. I will be having more action in the next chapter and action in almost every chapter after that since Ranma will be in Sunnydale and life there is never very quiet. I'll probably stream line this chapter later after a few of my pre-reader get back with suggestions and edits to my bad grammar.  
  
I'm still waiting for response to chapter one from them.  
  
If it seems that I'm spliting Ranma and Akane up I have to say the Challenge that started this piece wanted a Ranma/Buffy get together. . . but I'm not following the Challenge so wait for the next chapter to find out how Akane forces her way along.  
  
Besides I think a Ranma/Willow mix would be better ( Willow would have fun with a boy who can become a girl ).  
  
And thanks all people who make reviews on any of my fictions. I do read them all, and it helps boost my confidence in my writing and makes me to speed up my chapter output. 


	3. Then and There, Here and Now

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 3  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Series points:  
  
Buffy: The Dream world were Buffy died for a short time and became a Vampire. Ranma is replacing Kendra the Vampire Slayer and not Faith.  
  
Ranma: About a month after Saffron. Yes I know Ranma is incredibly powerful at this time but it's a good place for story deviation.  
  
Note: The transition from Mange/Anime to Real Actor TV does make things a bit different.  
  
One, the level of skill displayed in the Ranma Universe is over stated for the media type (as is the shape of girls) and although Ranma is still incredibly skilled and powerful he is not too far above Buffy's level of fighting. The Slayer Gift in the Ranma Universe would have to make the Slayer at least as tuff as Ranma and the Nerima Wrecking Crew or else it would be of no real use.  
  
Two, although Ranma-chan is still going to be very well developed in the chest area and very shapely, the image in both the Manga and Anime is over drawn to show a larger difference between being male and female. . . Or Akane should never complain about being so flat chested, she has bigger breasts then most girls I knew at that age.  
  
Of course this is meant for this story, and are my views on how a transition would convert from Anime to Real Actor TV.  
  
Now on with the Fic  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
- There and Then -  
  
Ranma sat looking at his pack unsure about what he was going to do. He had sounded so sure when traveling to the Hellmouth was first brought up, but now. . .  
  
Now he had travelled the many hour in the first plane trip ever in his life, landed in a huge place called 'L. A.' and travelled several more hours to this house just on the outer edge of Sunnydale. He was told that this would have been the house the last Slayer would have used if her Watcher hadn't refused to take her away from her Mother. This was going to be his home for a while because his Mother wasn't as bothered by the idea of him going off to save the world. . . it was his duty after all.  
  
He hadn't really given time to think even in all the hours of travel. His attention was on his surroundings when he was in the plane, trying to savour the new experience. In the car he was given his lecture as to what he would be going through when Miyabi and her friends set up the translation spell for him so he could understand those around him here. It wasn't until they showed him his room that he had any time to reflect on his leaving.  
  
He knew his Pop and Mr. Tendo would make a big deal about it, and that Akane would take it the wrong way, even Nabiki reacted as expected with indifference. Kasumi's reaction was the was the one that bothered him.  
  
Kasumi had sat him down in her domain, the Kitchen, and make him some tea while the Fathers tried to make the Watchers see reason and allow Akane to go along. She had started with talking about how she would love to travel and see new places, and how she'd miss the life Ranma had brought into the house. She talked about how she'd miss her new little brother, and that he'd always be that to her no matter what happened in his life. He didn't realize at the time what she was getting at until she asked him to do her one favour; to find someone he could truly love and who would love him back.  
  
He was shocked and started to ask about Akane and the family pact but was shushed as she gave him a serious look. Kasumi said she knew that both He and Akane did love each over but also knew that the tension between them was too much to weather in a life together. Neither of them should have to be locked into marriage that both would detest despite themselves, and She loved them both too much to see that happen.  
  
Ranma had tried to complain that she had pushed for the marriage as much as everyone else in the family, but was stopped when she explained how she and Nabiki and made sure that the marriage attempts would never come to pass. She had hoped that he and Akane could have found a way to love each other but knew better now. Kasumi then dropped the most shocking bombshell of them all, His own Mother agreed with Kasumi about finding someone that he could truly love while he was gone.  
  
He had denied the idea, his Mother, the serious traditionalist, would never suggest he break family honour, the thought alone was totally impossible! That was when Kasumi gave him the note.  
  
-  
  
Ranma, my Son  
  
I know that you have tried, at least for the few months that I have been living under the Tendo's roof, to live up to the pledge made by your Father and Soun Tendo. I'm proud of this effort even though I know that you and Akane Tendo are not. . . the best of choices for each other.  
  
Had I been aware of my husband's arrangement I would have stopped it at that time, I apologize for that and everything else he has put you through on your travels.  
  
I can only hope that you will find this time coming in a new country brings you some happiness as I know it has been a trial up to this point in your life.  
  
And I can also hope that you'll be lucky enough to bring home a good wife.  
  
Your Mother, Nodoka Saotome  
  
-  
  
It seemed both formal and personal at the same time, just like the way he how knew his Mother to be. It was also a shock to the system that she, of all people, wrote something like that.  
  
Now he had to figure out why he had stayed so long at the Tendo's in the first place. He knew honour was only a small part of it, but he had and now he was going away for an unknown amount of time. He hoped things would get better for everyone, especially for Akane.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
- The Here and Now -  
  
Ranma heard the knock on the room's door and turned as Cologne walked in staff on hand, "I know leaving was hard Child, but we have things to do."  
  
Ranma gave the old woman a hard look as he got up and walked out into the hallway that lead to Miyabi Gozumi's 'workroom', "I don't see why I havta do this, me and magic don't get along well."  
  
"Actually, magic just loves you. . . if it could feel that emotion," Cologne replied from behind him as they walked down the stairs. "If it didn't it wouldn't be drawn to you so much."  
  
"Is that supposed ta make me feel better? Cause it don't" Ranma grumbled as he opened the old oak door. He didn't care that it took a lot of money to import most of the material that made this house, nor the amount of magical energy that went into protecting the people inside, he just wanted to get this spell over with and go and get the damn book to stop his problems with his curse.  
  
"You have to know the language, and it's only a simple spell, and not even these. . . people can mess this one up," Cologne tried to reassure the boy not happy herself about the methods being used but knowing it was necessary.  
  
"I've heard that before," Ranma mumbled as he approached the circle.  
  
He sat in the place they showed him earlier and watched the woman start to perform the ritual they had described to him. He started to become interested in it more when he noticed it took almost as much concentration and an obvious level of trained skill as his katas did. He watched the woman who was to be his own personal Watcher weave the air as she swayed from side to side and saw the building energy hanging in the air above the chanters.  
  
Cologne kept a watchful eye on the group to be sure they didn't try to tag another spell on this simple one, she didn't like the levels of casting their were going through to do this. It seemed like they were expecting resistance from somewhere and put more effort in before it was needed. Then she sensed HIM.  
  
Hopping off from her charge she noticed he was distracted by the image of the woman swaying in an almost erotic pattern. She rebounded off the far wall near the corner to the next to it until she finally landed on the wooden rafter beside her prey. "Happi, why. . . no, how did you get in?"  
  
Happosai didn't bother taking his eyes off the display as he smiled and replied quietly, "Very little can keep me out of anywhere I want to go, you know that."  
  
"Of course, but I didn't think you'd come this far from the homeland," Cologne said just as quiet keeping an eye on the casting. "And why are you here?"  
  
"The boy of course," Happosai chuckled softly. "He been one of the best students I've ever had."  
  
"He has to do this," Cologne stated firmly giving the old little man an nasty look. "Without interference to distract him."  
  
Happosai gave his once upon a time love an evil smile, "And who would stop me?"  
  
"I would, and you know it!" Cologne got into a stance prepared to fight this evil little master of techniques even she feared if need came to be.  
  
"Don't worry so much Khu-chan I'm only here to give the new Slayer another 'gift'," the evil little man small laugh then turned his attention back to the swaying woman.  
  
"Now I am worried. The kind of this you consider. . . it has to with the spell doesn't it?" Cologne finally clued in and she definitely didn't like the idea.  
  
"You know a lot about spells for someone who doesn't use them," Happosai stated with another little smile as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"I wasn't an Adept like my sister was, and you know it! For me to actually cast a spell I would have to be in an intense area of magical energy."  
  
"Like the Hellmouth," Happosai snickered, then pulled out a small bottle from his small Gi.  
  
"I wouldn't want to cast anything here, too much chance for the worst possible results," Cologne eyed the small container trying to decide what to do to it until he took a swing and puffed out a small smoke ring. "What are you planning to do?"  
  
"The spell gives the target the knowledge of a language chosen during the casting at the best level of the people in the room. In this case they are trying to give Ranma the knowledge of English, and since there are three natural speakers of the language in the room he'll get a good level of skill. . . I'm going to increase the number of languages," Happosai explained as he dumped the contents of the bottle over the chanters.  
  
"Wait! Don't!" Cologne jumped for the bottle too late as the dust like contents floated into the air. Settling herself again she watched the powder interact with the spell and a ring of expanding energy suddenly flash out from the centre and dissipate quickly, but not before knocking everyone below across the room and a sleeping cat off a bookcase. Giving the little troublemaker a very angry glare she finally growled, "You idiot! Both of us know languages that aren't to be spoken again! Now you've given them to a boy who barely thinks before he acts!"  
  
Happosai dodged out of the way of the sudden staff swing coming at his head, he hopped back a small distance and gave Cologne a cocky grin, "Do you think me that addle minded? You didn't notice the wards around us on the beams."  
  
"Give the boy my regards," Happosai snickered as he faded into the shadows of the ceiling and vanished.  
  
"You little bastard," Cologne gave him a dirty look where the little evil oni had been.  
  
----------  
  
"Wha happened?" Ranma asked in a shaken tone as he sat up and put his right hand to his forehead. He had a raging headache and his thoughts were more chaotic than usual.  
  
"Happosai," Cologne stated calmly as she landed next to the boy. That one name explained almost everything.  
  
"What did the old freak do this time?" Ranma asked afraid to really know, this was the evil little freak after all.  
  
"Who, or what is Happosai?" Miyabi asked as she lifted herself up on one arm trying to regain her balance.  
  
"Happosai is the Grandmaster of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts. He created the style actually," Ranma replied trying to make the ringing go away. His mind was clearing but there seemed to be a strange sound rattling around in there.  
  
"And as close to a demon as a human can get without losing one's soul," Cologne added with a scowl. "But I can see he didn't mess the spell up too much since Son. . . Ranma has been speaking English since he woke up."  
  
"I have?" Ranma asked in confusion then realize that was what the sound was in his head, him thinking in an unfamiliar language. "I have haven't I."  
  
"Yes, Child. And it seems to have improved the way you talk as well," Cologne replied off handed as she looked at the blasted area the circle once was. "Hmm, it seems he used powdered tongue of a Magpie mixed with a Tssissian Demon's heart blood."  
  
"How can you tell?" Miyabi asked the Chinese Elder shocked at the knowledge this old woman seemed to hold.  
  
"He would have to have used either Tssissian or Dioriana Demon's blood to augment a language spell as is their gift. Where he has been he wouldn't have access to a Dioriana so it has to be Tssissian," Cologne explained slowly so her 'NEW' student learned what she was trying to teach. "And since he was trying to expand the spell to include every language known in the room he'd have to have used an animal's tongue that had the ability to learn any language, and Magpies works better with Tssissians."  
  
"I see. . . WAIT! EVERY LANGUAGE!?!" Miyabi finally caught on to what was being stated. "B. . but I know ten languages alone! And the others know a few other one I don't."  
  
"But he seems to be okay so far, maybe the other languages with slowly integrate into his subconscious," Cologne replied giving Ranma a worried look. "But the boy has never been known for his luck."  
  
"C. C. C. Cat!?!"  
  
Cologne spun quickly at the sound a very scared boy she knew should never be around the short and furry expecting to see her Great-granddaughter, having somehow smuggled herself to this country. What she saw was a small black and grey cat that seemed to not understand why the object it wanted attention from was trying desperately to get as far away from it as possible. Turning back to a confused woman who couldn't understand the reaction either Cologne gave her a hard glare, "You have a cat here?"  
  
"Um, yeah. Mr. Fluffy. Why is Ranma doing that?" Miyabi asked dumbfounded, not believing the extreme methods Ranma was taking to get away from a cute little cat.  
  
"Because Ranma is terrified of CATS! Something you would have known if you had thought to ask if he had any phobias," Cologne was very unhappy, mostly because she wasn't prepared to deal with Neko-Ranma after the amount of training he'd gone through since the last time she saw him become a cat. "And if we don't get that cat away from him he'll destroy this entire house."  
  
"You're kidding, right?" Miyabi asked cocking an eyebrow at the old woman.  
  
"If Ranma snaps from not being able to get away from that cat he'll enter a state that will allow him to shred the oak this room and house is made of, and he'll act as if he was a cat himself," Cologne explained through gritted teeth. "You grab the cat and I'll calm Ranma."  
  
"Ah, okay," Miyabi responded as she move over and picked up the house cat and cradled it in her arms. The cat struggled for a few seconds then realized it was getting the attention it wanted in the first place so it settled down and purred. "Sorry Mr. Fluffy, Ranma doesn't like little kitties much."  
  
Cologne at the same time move up next to Ranma and poked his neck so he would slump down unconscious on top of the bookcase he was curled up on. "I'm going to have to do something about this problem since we don't have the Tendo girl here to calm him if he turns."  
  
- - - - - - - -  
  
Unfortunately for Ranma the situation with the cat was a little worse that what Cologne thought she was witnessing.  
  
Ranma was barely paying attention to the old ghoul and her explanation as he was deep in thought trying out his new language. Oh, he had known some English but it was only a little bit and learned from the streets of Hong Kong so it was bad. Now he could not only speak the language but think in it as if it was natural. Worried about his Japanese he tried to think in it and found he could easily switch with no effort. It was being in that state of deep concentration that allowed something to sneak up on him.  
  
"Pet me."  
  
"Huh?" Ranma shook himself out of his little trance and noticed something brushing up against his leg.  
  
"Pet me!" repeated a strangely female voice.  
  
Looking down he noticed a small ball of black and grey fur rubbing itself around his leg.  
  
"C. C. C. Cat!?!" He screamed and backed away from the evil ball of fur.  
  
"Yes, I am. Aren't you going to pet me?" the cat asked as she walked forward looking a little confused.  
  
"A talking C. C. C. Cat!" Ranma stuttered as he continued to back away looking around for an escape. "A. . Another ghost C. Cat!"  
  
"I'm not a ghost, I've got many years left," the cat replied as she continued moving towards her new friend. "Why won't you pet me? Are we playing a game?"  
  
"G. Get away from me!" Ranma yelled as he did a simple leap on top of the bookcase hi backed into. "Shoo, Shoo! Go away!"  
  
"But this is my house, why do I have to go away?" the cat asked confused as it sat down in front the bookcase and looked up at the odd human boy. She then felt herself be picked up by her human friend who fed her and told the boy didn't like her very much. Thinking to herself she decided that all it would take was getting to know her.  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
"You call a female cat 'Mr. Fluffy'?" Cologne asked giving the woman a strange look.  
  
"I was drunk when I got her," Miyabi replied looking slightly embarrassed. "I thought she was a little furry black and grey rabbit. . ."  
  
"And evidently thought she was 'male'," Cologne added rolling her eyes as she carried the unconconious boy out of the room.  
  
"Um, yeah."  
  
"Why haven't you renamed her yet?"  
  
"I've tried, she won't respond to anything else," Miyabi said holding up the cat putting her face close to the cat's and continued as if she was talking to a child. "You won't you Mr. Fluffy."  
  
"She reminds me of Xain Pu, my Great-granddaughter. Xain Pu can't seem to keep herself away from the boy when she's in her cat form either," Cologne chuckled at the cat who tried to get out of Miyabi's arms when she carried Ranma past the feline.  
  
The cat leaned it's head towards the old woman and looked interested for a moment then came to a decision, Xain Pu sounded like a very good name.  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
Authors Notes: Chapter 3 done. . . Ranma is in Sunnydale, not the action I promised in the last chapter but that was due to the fact I wanted to expand the translation spell scene a bit to mess with Ranma's life, and give a scene to Happosai who wouldn't let his most favorite student get away too far.  
  
Next up Ranma goes on her first patrol, Ranma and Buffy meet. And an explaination of how the Gift really affects Ranma. 


	4. Realities in Life

Ranma 1/2 / BTVS  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 4  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma 1/2 Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Series points:  
  
Buffy: The Dream world were Buffy died for a short time and became a Vampire and then Drowned. Ranma is replacing Kendra the Vampire Slayer and not Faith.  
  
Ranma: About a month after Saffron. Yes I know Ranma is incredibly powerful at this time but it's a good place for story deviation.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
- Realities in Life -  
  
Ranma slept uncomfortably, it wasn't a natural sleep as it was the result of being made unconscious by a sharp point to his neck. He knew this kind of sleep too often when he lived in Nerima and it seemed to have continued now that he had moved to Sunnydale. He shifted slightly to get a pressure off his chest and woke someone else by his movements.  
  
"Are you going to pet Xian Pu now?" asked a familiar female voice near his face.  
  
"Shampoo. . . not know. . . I'm trying too sleep!" Ranma stated as he started to push the small bundle away out of reflex.  
  
"But Xian Pu wants a good petting!" the voice stated firmly as the form tried to leap over the boy's hands.  
  
That was when Ranma became awake enough to realize what he had in his hands was furry. . .  
  
"C. C. C. C. Cat!?!"  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Moving at top speed at the sound of the boy scream, Cologne hit the stairs just moments before Miyabi and was at the slightly open door that led to Ranma's room in mere seconds.  
  
"I thought that cat was in a secure place!?" Cologne had to yell over the screams of terror coming from the room.  
  
"She was!" Miyabi replied as she shoved open the door to see Ranma on top of his dresser trying to compress himself into the corner more than physically possible. "She must have gotten out."  
  
Cologne gave the woman a hard look then turned to the cat who was purring and looking ready to pounce, reaching out she lightly tapped the cat on the back of the neck and watched it drop into a sudden sleep, "Get her out of here, NOW!"  
  
"Ranma, you can calm down now. See the little cat is gone," Cologne coaxed after Miyabi moved out of the room carrying her pet complaining that if she had known she would never have had Mr. Fluffy flown over before them.  
  
"Xian Pu's gone?" Ranma finally asked as he looked around in wide eyed fear.  
  
"Xian Pu?" Cologne gave the boy an odd look. "Xian Pu is still in Japan, running my restaurant while I'm gone. And I'm glad to see your Chinese improving enough to pronounce our names right."  
  
"Um, yeah. . . okay, but I meant that. . . that beast. . . is it gone?" Ranma slowly stepped down from the dresser still looking around.  
  
"Yes, for the time being. Unfortunately your Watcher seems to have a strong attachment to it," Cologne replied as she patiently waited on her staff.  
  
"The. . . The damn thing kept asking me to. . . to pet her!" Ranma shuddered as he sat down on his bed. "Why does every c. c. cat I run into have to be called Xian Pu?"  
  
"I was afraid of that, the cat was in the room during the spell. . . you can now speak with cats as easily as you can humans," Cologne explained slowly, giving the boy a sad smile. "A interesting gift although not the kind of thing that you'd ever want to do."  
  
"That's just great, another lousy so called gift to cause my life problems on top of another," Ranma rolled his eyes as he flopped onto the bed to lay down and calm himself. "My life sucks!"  
  
"No Vampires suck, you just have bad luck," Cologne replied with a smile as she walked out of the room. "Breakfast is ready downstairs."  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
Miyabi watched horrified by the sight. She'd never seen anything so devastating before in her life, and she'd seen Glulontoni Demons eat in her early days in The Council. But the speed that Ranma was using was making food disappear without obvious means. Turning to the old woman she asked what had to be asked, "Does he do that often?"  
  
"All the time," Cologne snickered as she watched the display herself. "He use to have to fight his Father for every morsel of food so he started eating like that."  
  
"If this is this is another example of what he considered good training his Father is a bastard," Miyabi stated with an angry look in her eye. "If what you tell me is true about the Neko-ken then that man should be roasted alive."  
  
"Most people think the man should be, but his training methods did produce one of the world's strongest martial artist before the age of adulthood," Cologne replied with a sad smile. "If only I had gotten the boy when he was younger. . ."  
  
"You would have dismissed me off as just another male, you didn't get interested in me until you found out I turned into a girl," Ranma cut her off giving both of them a nasty look. "So I eat fast, it doesn't mean I'm deaf at the same time."  
  
"If you chose to continue eating like that then you have to get used to the kind of comments it's going to bring you," Cologne replied with a crooked smile. "And you know there's no need do that here, your Father can't steal your food anymore."  
  
"It's habit," Ranma shrugged as he sat back and tried to get comfortable in the straight backed chair. "I have problems breaking habits, you know that."  
  
"Very perceptive of you, Child, I guess taking you out of Japan has done at least one bit of good," Cologne looked genuinely impressed at the boy's statement.  
  
"No, I think something in the spell did it," Ranma corrected looking unhappy about it. "I seem to think clearer than I did before. . . It scares me a bit."  
  
"Why?" Miyabi asked not understanding, he should be happy that one of his problems has been dealt with so easily.  
  
"It means he wasn't as strong as he always claimed to be," Cologne explained as Ranma couldn't find the right words. "If he wasn't thinking clearly before then it had to be from damage done in his training, a fault that wasn't corrected. Being the best, the strongest, the most manly was what was pushed as being the most important things in his life by his Father."  
  
"And brain damage meant I wasn't perfect or would ever be perfect," Ranma added sadly. "It makes me little better than Kuno or Ryoga. I was obsessed with being the best because I couldn't think right."  
  
"If you keep this up and I'll start to believe a Doppelganger has replaced you," Cologne chuckled at the confused look from the boy. "I mean that you've had more revelations in the last ten minutes than you've had the entire time I've known you. Give yourself a rest and worry about these things a little at a time or you'll just do yourself more harm than good."  
  
"Um, sure. . . ya old ghoul - OW! -"  
  
Cologne laughed again as she returned her staff to beside her, "Better."  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
"So I have to go to the local High school?" Ranma-chan asked looking annoyed.  
  
"Of course. A good education is always important," Cologne stated sternly.  
  
"Besides, according to the local Watcher a lot of the town's weirdest problems happen in that school," Miyabi added with a smile. "And I'll be working there myself."  
  
"Oh that makes me feel so much better," Ranma-chan said sarcastically as she walked down the street with the two.  
  
"Taken lessons from Nabiki Tendo I see," Cologne replied giving the girl a hard eye, the impact was ruined by her own smile.  
  
Ranma-chan just stuck his tongue out at her and dodged out of the way of a staff strike, "Too slow!"  
  
"No, you've gotten faster again," Cologne gave the girl a weird look Ranma recognized as the old woman reading auras. "Stronger too, I'd say maybe a little bit more than you are when male."  
  
"No way, I'm way stronger as a guy!"  
  
"Not anymore, Child. I'd say the Gift balanced out your difference in strength between forms, and you've only gained more speed from it."  
  
"But I don't feel different as a guy?" Ranma-chan stated in confusion not liking what she was hearing, girls were weaker than guys and they always would be.  
  
"The Gift is meant for women. I'd say it isn't active when you're male, it would explain why you had to be female for The Council to find you," Cologne explained.  
  
"You knew that back in Japan! That's why you had me stay a girl so long! You knew the power only exists when I'm a girl!" Ranma-chan stopped and pointed a finger in accusation at the old Amazon.  
  
"I guessed," Cologne replied without turning around. "Now come on, we have an appointment to keep."  
  
"Ugh! You're always doing that to me! Never giving me the full story until it's over!" Ranma-chan huffed then moved up quickly beside both other women.  
  
"I still don't see why I have to go as a girl!" Ranma-chan stated after a couple minutes of quietly walking down a major street looking at the shops and cafés.  
  
"It'll be kind of hard for the local Watcher to believe you are the new Slayer if you show up as a boy," Miyabi replied rolling her eyes at the girl's reluctance to be one. "Don't worry, he's British, he'll either already have a kettle on for tea or have one ready when we get there."  
  
"Sounds like Kasumi," Ranma-chan said to herself quietly.  
  
Cologne was about to said something in agreement when they heard a woman scream from one of the near by alleyways. Before she could act Ranma-chan was already in action.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Ranma-chan rounded the corner into the alleyway almost in the same moment she heard the scream. What she found was four men surrounding a very scared girl and an unconscious girl laying limply on the ground. They seemed to be having more fun taunting the conscious girl than hurting her at the moment which gave Ranma-chan some time.  
  
"Scaring girls, it's not very manly," Ranma-chan stated as she stood with her arms crossed and her head cocked to one side. "Then again neither is four on one. What's wrong? One girl too much for you?"  
  
"What the. . .? Hey look guys, another one's come to play with us," one of the men stated ribbing a friend as they looked up at the new person in the alleyway.  
  
"Good I was getting hungry again, Cheerleaders are just too light and flaky to be filling," another laughed as he shifted his face to show true nature of his horror to his new prey.  
  
"Oooh, nice head ridges. Go to conventions much?" Ranma-chan replied looking very unimpressed. That was when the first one rushed her.  
  
The man's movements were faster than expected but he showed no sign of knowing how to fight above simple street brawling so Ranma-chan had no trouble reading the move and sidestepped the action without effort, returning to her original position and giving her opponents an evil smile, "Being the Slayer will be too easy."  
  
"You aren't the Slayer! She's a blonde and. . . and a lot taller!" another stated as he leaped forward also to miss his target as she wasn't there, instead he landed on his friend who was trying to rush up behind Ranma- chan.  
  
The other two decided to get into it finally throwing punches and kicks at the red head never coming close to connecting. Ranma-chan finally decided to strike back by simply putting her foot to one's chest, he flew back from the impact but not as far as she expected and was up shaking off the pain with in moments.  
  
"Okay, you're tougher than I thought," Ranma-chan smiled at the one in front of her. "Just means a better fight."  
  
After several more moments of trading blows, of which Ranma-chan blocked everyone of theirs, the Vampires looked the worse for wear but still tried to take down the red headed fireball that interrupted their meal. Cologne finally rounded the corner as one of the creatures landed in front of her, with a simple move she poked the end of her staff into his chest as he started to get, the dust cleared quickly as if the man never existed in the first place. Miyabi came up behind the old woman right after and both watched the boy turned girl give the other three a righteous beating.  
  
"Why doesn't she just kill them?" Miyabi asked confused at the amount of effort her Slayer was putting into just fighting her opponents.  
  
"You didn't tell her how to kill them," Cologne replied calmly. "Don't worry, this isn't even a warm up for her."  
  
"Ranma! You have to either stake their hearts or behead them to kill Vampires!" Miyabi called out as she threw a sharpened wooden stake. "Here use this!"  
  
Ranma-chan caught the stake with ease not pausing in the parries and attacks she was performing with the three who seemed unwilling to give up. Giving the stake a quick glace she looked back her companions as what was said finally registered, "What do you mean KILL THEM!?!"  
  
"They was evil demonic creatures! It's your job to SLAY them as it why it's called SLAYER!" Miyabi shouted back giving Cologne a confused not understanding Ranma-chan's reluctance to do her job.  
  
Cologne slapped her forehead lightly then chuckled to herself, "The boy has only killed once, and only to save the girl he thought he loved. He has never had to kill any of the other evil he's ever faced to defeat them."  
  
Miyabi looked stricken at what the old woman explained to her, "You mean she won't KILL!?!"  
  
"Not without a good reason," Cologne replied then looked back at the scene. "That child on the ground isn't unconscious Ranma! She has been killed by these beasts! You must avenge her death!"  
  
Ranma-chan looked back at the old woman for a moment avoiding a kick by leaping over it then looked down at the girls shifting his vision slightly. The one she thought unconscious was almost avoid of any aura, too far gone to save, and a darkness was starting to engulf her.  
  
"You killed her?" She asked in shock as she glared at the three Vampires.  
  
"Heh? Yeah, she was very tasty," One of the least bruised replied with a snide smile.  
  
"Bastard!" Ranma-chan shouted. She blurred as she moved forwards and the one who had answered her suddenly exploded in a mass of dust. The other two looked each other and turned to run finally, unfortunately one wasn't fast enough as he also back nothing in a wave of dust.  
  
Ranma-chan was about to get the last one when she was stopped by Cologne, "Leave him, we'll get him later. The other girl needs our attention first."  
  
Ranma-chan turned and made the stake disappear with a small flick of her wrist before walking over to the still living girl who was holding the dead body of her friend. After a few minutes of convincing the girl that she was hallucinating after being scared into shock by her friend's death at the hands of a group of street punks the trio was once again on their way. Ranma-chan stopped when out of outside the girl's vision and suddenly sat down shivering.  
  
"Child. . . It had to be done," Cologne said in comfort as she hopped over and looked down on the red head.  
  
"But. . . I killed. . . I killed two of them. Just like that, and I would have killed the last one too if you hadn't drawn my attention to the needs of that girl," Ranma replied without looking up.  
  
"Yes, why did you let that one go?" Miyabi asked Cologne not looking happy. "He's going to go to what ever master controls him and talk about Ranma here."  
  
"He will, I'm sure of it, but Ranma needed us more," Cologne gave the Watcher a very hard look before turning back to Ranma-chan. "They are already dead, Child, what you did was most likely released what remained of the poor soul that allowed that creature still have connection to who it was in life."  
  
"What?" Ranma-chan looked up confused.  
  
"Vampires are created by being killed by another Vampire drinking them dry. They awake evil, but they hold all the memories of the person they were when alive. Not all of the soul is lost when a human becomes a Vampire and in it's death the remaining portion is released to final rest."  
  
"So you're saying I helped those. . . creatures by killing them?" Ranma- chan stood in anger. "Bull Shit! Killing doesn't solve things! It just makes me as bad as them!"  
  
"They are soulless evil creatures that need to be exterminated before they kill us all!" Miyabi stated firmly giving the girl all of her pent up frustration from the stupidity of the argument.  
  
"You're saying they're evil because they haven't got a soul!?! I've met a lot of people who do well in their evil with their souls still intact!" Ranma-chan countered not backing down. She turned to Cologne again, "And you say they still have some of their soul left so I'm killing a person! It doesn't matter if it's a Human or a Demon! It's still an individual! It's still WRONG!"  
  
"Ranma. . . You're right. It's wrong. But they kill innocent people because they enjoy it, not just because they have to for their survival," Cologne stated calmly knowing that the honour in the girl was doing it's best to be heard. She actually found it refreshing and encouraging to find this in Ranma-chan after what she had to do to Saffron, she felt horrible about having to squash it. "Ranma, it's your duty now to protect those who can't protect themselves from these evil creatures, and that means killing them before they can kill others."  
  
"And what if they aren't out to kill people?" Ranma-chan asked still trying to be defiant and strong fast in her belief. "Am I to kill everything that isn't human? Just because they might kill someone?"  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when it presents itself, Child," Cologne replied looking tired. "I'm going to have to remind you that you promised on your honour to live up to this responsibility aren't I?"  
  
Ranma-chan gave the old woman a very angry look then turned cold and dispassionate, "No, I always live up to my promises. Duty is everything."  
  
"Well that's settled, we still have to get to the meeting at the school," Miyabi looked relieved for a moment until she noticed the look from Ranma- chan saying it was far from over. Glancing over at Cologne she realized that this argument was just beginning.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Spike watched as the several minor minions he had sent in for the book started to distract the Slayer and one of them grabbed his prize almost unnoticed. He enjoyed the fight more than the killing, not to say he didn't enjoy killing, but right now he couldn't risk himself as this was for Dru and she was important.  
  
"I got the book," the male minion stated as he ran up to Spike's hiding place holding out the book in question.  
  
"Right, Good, Now get in there and get the bloody Slayer," Spike commanded as he took the book with indifference. He was about to say more when the minion looked confused but stopped as he sensed people coming from the other end of the hall.  
  
"Wait, stay here and kill whoever's coming down the hall," He commanded again as he turned and headed off in another direction not wanting to be seen yet.  
  
The minion stood and smiled when he saw two woman and a little. . . thing coming towards him. Giving a battle cry he charged into them only to be dusted by a sudden appearance of a stake showing up in the youngest's hand at the last second.  
  
"More Vampire?" Ranma-chan looked confused as she pulled the stake back.  
  
"There is a fight going on up the hall, in the library I think. Ranma they might need your hel. . ." Cologne never finished as Ranma-chan was once again off as soon she heard there was a fight somewhere.  
  
Miyabi watched Ranma-chan speed off wondering if they were going to have the same conversation again after she was finished.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Buffy was having a bad night. First she was ambushed near her home, then she was attacked when she came to tell Giles about the first attack, and she had a term paper to finish. These things were just looking to get dusted tonight and she had a term paper due tomorrow. There was still six Vampires left, Giles was unconscious on the floor, and she had a term paper in LATIN due tomorrow!  
  
She wasn't doing good in Latin.  
  
She was about to say something about that term paper to these freaks but one of them caught her by surprise from behind. She spun as she fell from having her foot pull out from under her and was about to try to stake the Vamp when it suddenly turned to dust from a thrown stake that impaled it's back.  
  
"Thanks," she replied out of reflex but didn't have time to see if it was Angel or one of her other friends who helped her as she had to counter another strike. Quickly dusting that Vampire she felt someone come up behind her and spun to hit it not to caught again by that trick.  
  
Her backhand was stopped by a strong but small hand. A red haired Asian girl smiled at her then thrusted her hand back to dust one more Vampire who chose to attack from the side, "Whoa, I'm the Calvary!"  
  
Buffy looked confused at the girl for a moment until the red head nodded to her left, spinning around she blocked a punch from a female vampire and shoved her stake in for a clean dusting. As she turned back to the girl she noticed the rest of the Vampires were gone.  
  
"Thanks, but who are you?" Buffy asked as she gave the girl a good examination. A short girl, about a head and a half shorter than her, wearing a weird set of silk clothing. The red shirt looked good but was a little too big for her, as was the black silk pants, even the bracers she wore were too big for her. It made her look like she was wearing her father or brother's clothes and not her own, except she looked too comfortable in them.  
  
"I'm Ranma," the girl replied with a big honest smile. "The Vampire Slayer."  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Author's Notes: Well Finally some Vampire action and some dusting. I'm thinking the action scenes need buffing up a bit but it's 4:45 in the morning and I'm tired. Those of you who know the Buffy series know where this is placed now and it's the only part of the series that will be covered then things change slightly. . . I still plan to do the Angelus storyline but slighty different.  
  
  
  
Next up: School, the hell you know.  
  
And sometime soon a couple of Ranma's cast will show up as I can't really leave them out completely.  
  
Thanks for the reviews, I still read them all. 


	5. School, The Hell You Know

Ranma 1/2 / BTVS  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma 1/2 Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Series points:  
  
Buffy: The Dream world were Buffy died for a short time and became a Vampire and then Drowned. Ranma is replacing Kendra the Vampire Slayer and not Faith.  
  
Ranma: About a month after Saffron. Yes I know Ranma is incredibly powerful at this time but it's a good place for story deviation.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
"Speech"  
  
*Thoughts*  
  
[Other Languages]  
  
- School. . . -  
  
Buffy looked at the girl in shock, she couldn't believe what she had heard, "Vampire Slayer?"  
  
"I know, it's sounds silly but that's what they call me," Ranma-chan said with a crooked smile sizing the blonde up. What she saw was a physically fit teen about her age with a above normal fighting skill, near where she was herself but she'd never admit it. The girl obviously didn't have any Chi or Ki training as she was leaking battle aura everywhere without knowing it.  
  
A groan from the floor area turned both their attention to the older man who was slowly returning to consciousness. Buffy moved over to man quickly supporting his neck as Cologne and Miyabi walked in.  
  
"Giles? Are you alright?" Buffy asked with concern.  
  
"Ow. . . Besides a spitting headache caused by a blow from a blunt book, I'm doing just peachy," Giles replied as he sat up. He picked up the offending book and glared at it for a moment, "How fitting a collection of Poe."  
  
*Cough, cough* Cologne tried drawing the two's attention to herself and her companions. "I see there were problems here already. Rupert Giles I take it?"  
  
Giles put his glasses on and looked up at the creature sitting on the staff before him and gave it a curious expression, "Um, well yes I am, but who are you?"  
  
"Ah, Giles. . . The red head says she's 'The Slayer'," Buffy said quietly to him as she helped him to his feet.  
  
"The Slayer? Oh, then you'd be the people I was expecting," Giles stated as he put the book back on the counter. He stood straighter and gave them a weak smile, "As you a can see things can be rather hectic around here. I had just taken the kettle off when I was ambushed."  
  
"Giles, who are these people?" Buffy asked giving him a look that said she didn't like his sudden shift towards the trio.  
  
"I told you, I'm Ranma Saotome, and according to my Watcher I'm the Vampire Slayer," Ranma-chan replied as she lifted herself to sit on the countertop.  
  
"Um, yes. Buffy this is. . . how do I put it? This young girl has been given the same gift you have," Giles stated as he put another kettle on the little stove in his office. "And the others would be her Watcher and. . ."  
  
"I still don't know who, or what you are?" He came back out and looked at the. . . creature still on the staff.  
  
"Who I am is Khu Lon, and as to what I am is a very old woman who is getting very annoyed at being asked that same question over and over again," Cologne replied giving Giles an even stare.  
  
"Cologne, Ranma? Weird names," Buffy said looking at the old woman.  
  
"And Buffy is normal?" Ranma-chan replied giving the girl a cocky grin.  
  
"Now isn't the time for these kind of games," Miyabi stated looking annoyed at Ranma-chan then back at Giles. "We've obviously walked into a situation and I for one want to know what's going on."  
  
"Um, yes quite. Since I was unconscious I don't really know what exactly happened," Giles replied looking slightly embarrassed. "Buffy, did you see them take anything?"  
  
"I was kinda distracted with the not getting killed and all," Buffy looked back at the room in the massive disarray it was in.  
  
"Ranma, do you remember anything?' Cologne asked as she hopped over to the largest table giving the papers a look.  
  
"Nah, no one got by us, not even the one we encountered in the hallway," Ranma-chan replied thinking back on the fight.  
  
"One in the hallway? He could have handed something off to another before he encountered you," Giles stated unhappily. "It'll take me a few hours to figure out if anything is missing."  
  
"Fine, but we better discuss the situation with the Slayers first," Miyabi added as she walked over to a chair and sat down.  
  
"Look, I've gotta bail. Giles can give me the skinny later, I got a Latin term paper due tomorrow," Buffy stated as she started moving towards the door.  
  
"Don't worry about the paper, Miss Summers, as the new Latin teacher I'm not going to be so concerned about grading term papers on my first day," Miyabi replied giving the girl a smile.  
  
"Um, yeah. . . well I still have to deal with my Mother about being out so late."  
  
"Don't worry about this, Buffy, I'll find out what I can and tell you about it tomorrow," Giles stated giving the girl a small smile. "Go home and get some rest."  
  
"Yeah, rest. Need lots of rest," Buffy nodded her head several times then turned to Ranma-chan. "I really want to know what's going on with you though."  
  
"I'll be at school tomorrow, we can talk then if you want," Ranma-chan smiled as she hopped of the counter and cocked her head to the side head. "I'd love to spar with you to. . . I might actually find a good fight here after all."  
  
Buffy gave the girl an odd look then shook it off, "Yeah, sounds good."  
  
Giles turned back to the two older visitors after watching Buffy leave the room. He was about to start when the kettle whistled, "I'll be right back."  
  
Returning he found Ranma-chan sitting beside the older woman waiting patiently, something he hardly ever saw from Buffy, "Tea, anyone?"  
  
"Told you," Miyabi said to Cologne. "Very British."  
  
Cologne ignored the other woman and smiled at the man, "Two cups of hot water would be helpful, just hot water with nothing added."  
  
"Ah, okay," Giles looked confused as he poured out two mugs of hot water. "So you told me on the phone that another Slayer had been chosen. . . Has The Council figured out why? Since of course Buffy is still alive."  
  
"A couple of your reports maybe the link, but we were only informed a new Slayer had been 'born' a couple hours after the drowning incident you reported," Miyabi explained as she took a mug with actual tea in it.  
  
"Ah, right. So The Powers thought Buffy was gone and chose another. . . But Buffy woke up still with the gift?"  
  
"We haven't figured that out yet. The Council think it's because the situation is accellerating so much that a second Slayer was needed," Miyabi sipped her tea as she turned very serious, the small smile on her face destroyed the effect. "At least this time we got one that had already trained in martial fighting and had experience with the supernatural before gaining the gift."  
  
"Really?" Giles looked over at the red haired Asian girl and cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"I keep telling you I don't want this so called gift! It's a cheat! A way around having to train hard to improve oneself!" Ranma-chan stated loudly giving Miyabi a very unhappy look. "And it's messing up my life!"  
  
"Becoming the Slayer is never easy, but the gift doesn't just give you the ability to fight, it enhances what you already have. Buffy's been training hard since becoming the Slayer so she could be a good fighter," Giles defended his Slayer for this girl's statement.  
  
Ranma-chan gave Giles a hard look then tested the hot water, it was just about cool enough to use with out scolding herself, "This 'gift' has caused a big problem I need solved quickly."  
  
"What problem?" Giles asked confused.  
  
"This," Ranma-chan dumped the water over her head and the change started to happen. Like the other times the change fluctuated wildly between forms before finally finishing on his male form.  
  
Giles watched in amazement as the small red haired Asian girl started to shifted wildly and end as a taller very muscular black haired Asian boy, "Wha. . .?"  
  
"It's a Jusenkyo curse. I turn into a girl with cold water and back into a boy with hot water," Ranma explained looking queasy.  
  
"Did it cause you problems, Child?" Cologne asked in concern seeing the pale look on Ranma's face.  
  
"I feel kinda weak," Ranma replied as he tried to find his center. "It's never felt like that before. . ."  
  
"The Powers gave you a sex changing curse?" Giles asked as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "I've never heard of that happening before. . ."  
  
"I had the curse before the 'Gift' came," Ranma stated in annoyance as he moved in front of the man. "This Slayers thing is just messing it up, making it harder and harder to turn back into a guy."  
  
"I see. . ." Giles replied as he looked off into space for a moment. "I would guess that The Callings of Lionna would help balance that out. . ."  
  
"We know, but we were told it was out on loan," Cologne said giving the man an evil smile. "I find keeping track of who is doing what by being the one who loans the books very sneaky."  
  
"Well, um, yes actually. . ." Giles stuttered as the look of shock came back to his face.  
  
"And I hope you keep the truly nasty books for away from here," Miyabi added giving Giles a nasty look not as impressed by his action as the old Elder was.  
  
Giles gave the other Watcher a hard expression and chose not to respond to that but instead replied to Cologne, "Ah, yes, since it's innevenatiable that people will be drawn to play with magic near the Hellmouth I thought it best this way."  
  
"Look, I don't care about that! I just want the book!" Ranma nearly shouted at the trio of adults. "Can't we find out who has it and ask for it back?"  
  
"Ah, yes, the book. . ." Giles replied then a look of realization came over his face just before he ran to the center table. "Bloody Hell! I should have fought of that earlier!"  
  
After about a minute of throwing books everywhere to clear off the table he looked up in concern, "I should have known they'd only want that book!"  
  
"What was the book about?" Cologne asked as she moved over beside him after looking at Ranma and pointing to the books. Ranma started picking the thrown books up and stacking them on the counter.  
  
"Drusilla," Giles replied taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"That isn't good," Cologne stated unhappily.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
- . . . The Hell You Know -  
  
Buffy walked on to the grounds of Sunnydale High lost in thought about the night before. The fight wasn't a problem, that happened all the time here, the problem was. . . another Slayer. She was already having enough headaches about where she was going in her life, and now her one true calling had another girl to fill it. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be the Slayer anymore, but since she was the only one she didn't have a choice. . . until now.  
  
"Quarter?" asked a male voice from her left side as a coin came into her field of vision.  
  
Looking up confused Buffy saw her friends Xander and Willow giving her concerned expressions.  
  
"I know a penny's traditional for one's thoughts but it's all I have on me. . . Actually I kinda still need it," Xander explained with a quick weak smile as he put the coin away.  
  
"It's nothing, just thinking about the future," Buffy replied trying to smile back.  
  
"Ooh, the future. . . That place with the flying cars, gotcha," Xander said looking off and nodding his head. "Wait, didn't they promise flying cars to us by now?"  
  
"I'm sure they're working on it," Willow replied giving him a sly smile. "Give them a little time, they have a lot of problems to work out first."  
  
"Like how to harness the pigeons," Buffy added straight faced.  
  
"Damn, I want my flying car!" Xander called out to the sky doing a small turn until he faced same direction he was going. "Actually, I just want any car."  
  
"Thanks, guys," Buffy said with a happier smile as they got to the stairs. "I needed the distraction."  
  
"Talking about a distraction, whose that? A new student?" Willow asked as she indicated towards the way they had come.  
  
Buffy looked up at the Asian boy wearing the white sleeveless silk shirt and black silk pants. He was very good looking, rugged and confident, but something seemed familiar about him.  
  
"What, who would want to come to this school?" Xander asked giving the boy a odd look. "Don't people know that students drop like flies here?"  
  
"Defently a Honey," Buffy said getting a nod form Willow in agreement.  
  
"Wait, he's coming this way," Willow stated sounding slightly excited.  
  
"Will, we're standing by the doors," Xander replied nodding his head at the main entrance. "Not much choice there."  
  
"Um, hi Buffy," the boy said with a shy smile as he walked up to the three of them.  
  
"She has all the luck," Willow stage whispered to Xander leaning slightly behind Buffy causing him to roll his eyes.  
  
Buffy gave both a quick look before turning back to the new boy, he still looked very familiar, "Um, hi. . . do I know you?"  
  
Ranma looked confused for a moment then smiled again, "Ah, yeah. We met last night."  
  
"I don't think so, I'd remember meeting you," Buffy replied looking very confused.  
  
"Maybe a forgetting spell was cast on you," Willow offered trying to look helpful. She then turned to the boy and gave him a light smile, "I'm Willow, Buffy's best friend."  
  
Ranma smiled back at the shorter girl, he was a little taken aback by her red hair but decided it looked good on her. "I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts," He replied giving a girl a short bow.  
  
"Um. . . ah. . . wow," Willow said trying to stop her heart from racing.  
  
"Ranma? But I met a Ranma last night," Buffy said in total confusion. "but you can't be that Ranma. . ."  
  
"Maybe he looks different in bright daylight?" Xander offered trying to be helpful.  
  
"No. The Ranma Saotome I met was a GIRL," Buffy replied giving Ranma a good look.  
  
"He most defently isn't a girl," Willow added with the smile still on her face.  
  
"Maybe he passes for one at night," Xander said more to himself than the group. "Or just dresses as one."  
  
"I do NOT dresses up like a GIRL!" Ranma replied giving the boy a hard look then looked away and mumbled, "At least not if I can help it."  
  
"Xander! That wasn't nice!" Willow scolded him then turned back to look at Ranma.  
  
"Listen, Lets go to the library and Giles will explain it," Ranma said in frustration then looked annoyed at himself. "I never thought I'd hear myself suggest going to a library, my life is truly cursed."  
  
"Don't worry about it the library is actually cool here. . . well as cool as a library can get," Willow replied giving Ranma another smile and grabbing his hand to pull him up the stairs.  
  
"What was that?" Xander asked as he and Buffy watched as their mousy little friend almost throw herself at the new guy.  
  
"I don't know. . . but I think it's magical," Buffy replied not taking her eyes off the Raven haired Asian boy.  
  
"He isn't that good looking!" Xander said in mild disgust.  
  
"No, no I mean I think it's magic," Buffy explained as she shook her head slightly. "I'm feeling pulled to him too. . . I just seem to be able to resist more than Willow."  
  
"I don't like the sounds of that," Xander replied giving Ranma's back a hard look. "Willow could be in trouble."  
  
"We're headed to Giles, he should be able to figure it out. Willow's in no danger while we're near her," Buffy offered and picked up her pace so she could get beside Willow and the new boy.  
  
Ranma on the other hand was as nervous as he had ever been, *Great. . . Another one! I hope Akane never finds out about this. . .*  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
Akane sneezed suddenly causing her to look up from her suitcase she was packing, "What was that?"  
  
"Are you really yet Akane?" Kasumi called from downstairs.  
  
"Yeah, the hot springs are waiting you know," Nabiki added also from downstairs.  
  
"I'll be down in a second," she shouted back to her sisters and closed the suitcase. She was about to leave the room when she looked at the picture on her desk, the image of Ranma and the others were staring back at her. Giving it a sad smile she turned and walked out, "I hope he's okay."  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
"Ah, Willow, I see you've met Ranma already," Giles said as Willow pulled the boy in followed by Buffy and Xander.  
  
"Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked still eyeing the boy with mixed feelings, she was trying to keep her hormones at bay.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" Giles asked looking confused at Buffy who nodded towards Ranma. "Oh! That."  
  
"Yes, that," Buffy replied then shook her head slightly. "What's THAT?"  
  
"Do you have any cold and hot water?" Ranma asked as he pried his arm out of Willow's grasp politely as he could.  
  
"Um, yes just a second," Giles walked into his office and came back with his kettle and a glass of water which he handed to Ranma.  
  
"Ah, Giles? What's going on?" Xander asked as he walked over to the Watcher.  
  
"Watch," Giles replied calmly.  
  
"Buffy, I suggest you watch carefully," Ranma said as he dumped the contents of the glass over his head and the change started.  
  
The three watched as the muscular Japanese boy quickly shifted into a large chested red haired Japanese girl. The change was quick but the shifting was easy to watch as he lost height and gained mass in the chest.  
  
"Wow," Xander said quietly mirrored by his friends by the way they looked at the new girl.  
  
"It's a not a 'wow' it's a curse," Ranma-chan replied sadly looking less confident and sure of herself as she did a minute ago as a guy.  
  
"Curse? Then it's magical, we can do magic," Willow stated giving the cursed girl a smile.  
  
"It's more complicated than that, Willow," Giles said as he took of his glasses and paused until he had their attention. "Ranma here is the new Slayer."  
  
"New Slayer? But we still have one. . . Right?" Xander asked as he looked between Giles and Buffy.  
  
"I said it was complicated," Giles replied trying to calm the tension. "It seems that when Buffy. . . drowned awhile ago The Powers choose another to be Slayer. Then Buffy was revived and The Powers left her with the gift too, so now we have two Slayers."  
  
"One of which changes into a boy," Willow added to be helpful.  
  
"Um, actually I am a guy," Ranma-chan piped up causing all but Giles to look at her. "The curse changes me into a girl."  
  
"Oh, wow," Xander stated giving Ranma-chan a good look. "If I was going to be cursed like that that would be the kinda body I'd want."  
  
"Well I've gotten used to it, just barely, but since the 'Gift' came I've had trouble changing back to being a guy," Ranma-chan replied giving Xander a foul look.  
  
"Well I think it's cool," Willow stated as she grabbed one of Ranma-chan's arm. "Just think, a boy who knows what a woman goes through first hand."  
  
"It's not cool, it's caused a lot of problems. . . but it's better than the other Jusenkyo curses," Ranma-chan replied as she tried to peel Willow of her arm.  
  
Buffy turned and faced Giles at the sight of this and looked serious, "I think we have another problem."  
  
"You mean besides the fact that the only missing book is the one we were reading about Drusilla?" Giles countered calmly.  
  
"Yeah besides that. . . WHAT!?!" Buffy's eyes went wide then she calmed down. "Okay, that's bad but we'll deal with that soon. What I was going to say is a I think Ranma has some kind of magic on HIM to make girls fall for him."  
  
"I think it's on both forms, Buff, I know Ranma is a guy but I'm finding HER very. . . um, very. . . well you know, and it's really freaking me out," Xander said from beside her as he looked at Ranma-chan. "It helps that she's stacked to the hilt too."  
  
"Um, yes I see. Well it would require a small spell to find out what is going on, if Ranma is willing that is?" Giles replied replacing his glasses.  
  
"If you're saying that the reason that all those. . . girls were falling all over me was because of some magic, yeah I'd like to know about it!" Ranma-chan stated firmly. "You have no idea what I've had to live with from that alone."  
  
Ranma-chan took the kettle and poured the water over her head to activate the change back. Once again the change was slow and fluctuated back and forth until finishing on the male form. Ranma looked weak again and almost stumbled until Willow caught his arm.  
  
"Um, thanks. . . It keeps getting worse," Ranma said as he regained his balance. Willow just smiled at him causing him to get nervous again.  
  
"It'll have to be done after class," Giles said as he started to move them out of the library. "I should also know who has the book we need for the other spell by that time."  
  
"Okay," Willow replied as she grabbed Ranma's arm and pulled him out. "Lets go find out what classes you're in. Hopefully we has some in common."  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
"Well, Ranma does have magic on him to attract the opposite sex. . ." Giles stated as he and Willow started to clean up the casting area. "But it's very old, possibly put on him as a child if not as a baby."  
  
"Pop," Ranma said as he put his head in his hand and shook it a few times.  
  
"What?" Giles asked looking up from a book he had pulled out dealing with sexual spells. "You know who did this to you?"  
  
"It sounds like something my Pop would do to me," Ranma explained. "Being a man among men was a BIG thing with him and my Mother, and having just about every woman falling over me would qualify as manly to them."  
  
"That's. . . horrible," Xander said looking confused then turned to Giles. "So, um, what was the name of this spell?"  
  
"Xander!" Willow replied looking very annoyed.  
  
"Hey! Can't blame a guy from trying," Xander smiled.  
  
"Trust me, you don't want this one. . . It causes too many problems," Ranma shuddered as he thought of Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, and Kuno.  
  
"What can we do about it? I'm not sure I want to be constantly distracted by. . . hormones while slaying," Buffy asked trying not to look directly at Ranma as it kept making her heart skip slightly.  
  
"Well the spell can't be broken, it was never meant to be by the caster. And it's only gotten stronger here in the Hellmouth," Giles started as he kept reading ignoring the look he was getting from Buffy. "But I think I can put a protection spell on us and most of the school so the only attraction to Ranma will be that which comes naturally."  
  
"Actually the spell simply enhances the attraction people feel towards the child," a old scratchy voice corrected from near the doorway.  
  
"A demon!" Xander exclaimed as he moved behind Buffy.  
  
"A shriveled up little raisin of a demon, but - OW - it hit me!" Xander looked confused as to why Buffy let the demon hit him with her staff.  
  
"Actually she's a shriveled up little raisin of a old human woman - OW -," Ranma corrected then rubbed his head from the staff blow still smiling.  
  
"This is Khu Lon, she is helping Ranma with her. . . ah his slaying duties," Giles explained putting the book down.  
  
"Cologne? Odd name, but we can't really complain, can we Buffy?" Willow replied with a smile having taken a hold of Ranma's arm again.  
  
"What you plan to do with the spell will be fine," Cologne stated to Giles as she ignored the youngsters for a moment. Then she turned and hopped over to Willow to give her a better look, "So you're the one Rupert talked about? Yes the magic is strong in this one."  
  
"Great, first we have a second Slayer, who turns into a guy, and now we have a little Yoda wannabe," Xander stated to the heavens then started to rub his head again. "- OW -"  
  
"I don't know this 'Yoda' but I'm sure it was an insult," Cologne said as she went back to Willow.  
  
"Think Happosai with out the panties fetish," Ranma replied with a smile. "Or the torture your students fetish, or the . . ."  
  
"I get the idea," Cologne cut him off.  
  
"We'll set up the spell to be cast during the second period take maximize the number of students in the school at the time," Giles said not bothering to get involved in the other conversation.  
  
"Good, I've got that period off tomorrow so I can help," Willow added with a smile then returned to gaze at the boy she was latched onto.  
  
"I was taking that into account," Giles replied then looked at Ranma who seemed very uncomfortable with Willow being so close. "As for The Calling of Lionna, it's currently signed out to a freshman named Jessie Cashman. He's been listed as sick for the last couple of days. . . so either we pay him a visit or wait for him to return it."  
  
"I say we give him a visit, but after we deal with this other problem," Buffy stated looking serious.  
  
"Yes, the other book is more important at the moment," Giles agreed with a nod. "We need to get back that book before Spike can use it in any way."  
  
"Spike? Oh that makes things so much worse," Xander added in a very unhappy way.  
  
"Are you sure it was Spike?" Buffy asked also not happy.  
  
"The book was about Drusilla," Giles stated as that one statement answered everything.  
  
"I'll ask Angel about where we might find Spike," Buffy said as she turned to leave. "Then we'll dust Spike and Drusilla and be down with this stupid stuff finally."  
  
"Are you that eager to kill them?" Ranma asked looking a little shocked.  
  
Buffy turned back confused by the question, "We're Slayers, it's what we do. We 'Slay' Vampires, and the other evils in the world."  
  
"Why? Do you also go out and 'Slay' every criminal that hurts people too?" Ranma asked very seriously.  
  
"I don't kill humans!" Buffy replied still confused but getting a little angry. "I only slay evil soulless creatures like Vampires!"  
  
"How do you know they are soulless? I've been two different things about that, and I want to know how you know," Ranma continued as he sat down and waited for an answer. Xander and Giles decided to stay out of this as it looked as if it was going to get ugly, Willow just looked on confused.  
  
"Because they are evil! They kill others for fun, they aren't human!" Buffy yelled back as she stormed back in front of the boy.  
  
"Because they kill people they have no soul?" Ranma asked calmly. "I've heard about a lot of humans that did that too, are you going to slay them too?"  
  
"I don't kill humans!"  
  
"Vampires were human, heck they still look human, and you slay them without much thought," Ranma countered still remaining calm. The room was starting to get colder for some reason but Buffy wasn't noticing it as she was way too angry.  
  
"Well she doesn't slay Angel. . . he's got a soul," Willow added then realized she shouldn't have.  
  
"Is Angel a Vampire?" Ranma asked Willow with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"YES!! ANGEL IS A VAMPIRE!!" Buffy screamed at him. "But he's a good Vampire!"  
  
"Yeah, since he got his soul back," Xander added not looking happy about the new object of discussion. "Before that he was one of the evilest Vampires out there."  
  
"You're not helping Xander!" Buffy turned looking hurt.  
  
"So he's turned good? Was it his choice?" Ranma asked both Xander and Buffy looking very curious about this.  
  
"No, some Gypsies cursed him with his soul back so he could suffer from realizing the pain he caused others," Xander answered not looking at Buffy.  
  
"So he's good, but not of his own choice? That isn't redemmsion that's a joke!" Ranma stated with a hard stare at Buffy.  
  
"He doesn't want to be evil anymore! He helps me stop the evil here!" Buffy explained loudly then noticed a puff of steam come out of her mouth from the cold.  
  
"So instead of killing humans he goes around killing Vampires and Demons?" Ranma quirked an evil smile. "I'd say he's just given up one type of slaughter for another. Maybe humans weren't a change for him anymore."  
  
"RANMA, THAT IS ENOUGH!" Cologne scolded loudly as she hopped in front of her. "I agree that not all demons need to be killed as some are not truly evil, but it's your job to protect humanity from the forces of evil that seek to destroy it."  
  
"I KNOW IT'S MY DUTY!" Ranma stood in a flash and the temperature returned to normal. "I may not like killing these things but I will do my DUTY!"  
  
"Then stop this silly argument, it isn't doing you or the other Slayer any good," Cologne stated firmly.  
  
"Listen, Ranma, if you can find away to deal with the problems that crop up without killing them I'm all for it," Giles said giving the boy and even look as he adjusted his glasses. "But the Watchers have tried that so many times in the past and all it did was get people killed."  
  
"Well maybe they didn't try hard enough," Ranma replied as he calmed himself.  
  
"Maybe not, but lives were at stake so they may not have had the time to try harder," Cologne added giving the boy an evil smile. "Just like you didn't have the time to find another solution to deal with Saffron as Akane Tendo's life was at stake."  
  
Ranma gave the old Elder a very hard look but sat down again and shut his mouth.  
  
"If we're done here, I've got to talk to Angel," Buffy said as she turn to head out again this time not bothering to wait for a response.  
  
- - - - - - - - - -  
  
Author notes:  
  
There is number 5. . . for now. I'll probably have to really edit this one as it jumps a bit. The next one will have the results of the spell to make Ranma less attractive to girls and guys (like that'll do much) and Ranma- chan and Buffy on patrol together. Plus Ranma meets Angel, Spike and Drusilla.  
  
I hope it was a good read, as I usually spend about two weeks to two months on a chapter in other stories I write. This one is coming out every few days and I worry about quality a bit. . . but the muses call me and I answer. 


	6. Semantics

Ranma 1/2 / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 1  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma 1/2 Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
- Semantics -  
  
Spike looked at the Vampire sitting over the book and was starting to get very impatient. Yanking the man's head back by the hair he looked straight into the smaller man's eyes, "Well, Scribe?"  
  
"I. . . it's not hard to read the script but finding the spell from within the madness of words is a slow process," the Scribe Vampire replied looking to be in complete terror of the dyed blonde Vampire.  
  
"Well get back to it then!" Spike threw the man's head forward as he turned away and walked off, not caring that the scribe was rubbing his forehead from the impact with the table.  
  
"Not long now Luv," Spike said in a careful tone full of care to the woman sitting and rocking slowly near bye. "Once we have the spell you'll be whole again."  
  
"Spells, spells. . . I can't see the spells," Drusilla replied staring off in space, then a shudder hit her body and she fell to her knees.  
  
Spike was beside her the moment she touched the floor and stopped her from completely hitting the ground with her whole body, "are you all right, Dru? What happened?"  
  
"A Dragon. . . A Dragon neither male or female, A Dragon having killed a Phoenix has come for us," Drusilla said quietly as she slowly recovered from the episode.  
  
"Dragons, phoenixes? What kinda freak is she?" asked another Vampire who had just walked in. "Share the drugs girl."  
  
Before he could register the movement he was against the wall with Spikes hand to his throat. Spike's face went into his most feral and he gave the teen a glare before correcting the mistake that had been done, "SHE. IS. NOT. A. FREAK! She has visions of the future! They may sound strange but they always have meaning, and they should be listened to. IS. THAT. CLEAR?"  
  
"Um, yeah Spike. . . You're the boss and all," the deceased boy said as he rubbed his sore neck after being released.  
  
"Where were you and you're friends tonight? You were supposed to be at the School to distract the Slayer," Spike asked as he sat down on the antique high backed chair he had found and liked.  
  
"We ran into the Slayer near the Bronze when we stopped to get a bite, I'm the only one that got away from her and her little pet demon," the boy stated looking proud of his escape.  
  
"Oh, you ran into the Slayer near the Bronze huh? How would that be possible SINCE I WAS WATCHING THE SLAYER THE ENTIRE NIGHT!?!" Spike screamed into the teen's face as he once again had him by the throat and lifted him off his feet a good foot and a half. "And for the record, the Slayer doesn't have a pet. . . demon?"  
  
Spike dropped the boy and put a hand on the boy's shoulder as he smiled, "Tell me about this demon?"  
  
"Um, I. . . I don't remember much about it except it was small and hopping on a wooden cane or somethin', struck it in Lenny's chest and poof, dust," the boy stuttered now really fearing for his existence. "The Slayer on the other hand was a small oriental red head, incredibility good looking, if ya know what I mean," he continued as he cupped hi hands under his chest and did a few bouncing motions upwards.  
  
"First, there can only be ONE Slayer at a time. It's in the bloody rules!" Spike said showing his fangs again and moved behind the boy. "Second, the current Slayer is a blonde named Buffy Summers and not a short little Asian dye job!"  
  
"And third?" the boy asked nervously as he started to turn his head to follow Spike's movements.  
  
"Third? Third, DON'T. EVER. CALL. DRU. A. FREAK!" Spike shouted as he grabbed the teen's neck and twisted it to snap then released the corpse before it turned to dust.  
  
"Dru luv, could this little girl be the Dragon in your vision?" He asked calmly as he walked back to support her leaning body. Looking up he noticed the Scribe staring at him wide eyed and decided to state the ways of the world again, "Get back to work, I want Dru cured before the week's out!"  
  
- - - -  
  
"So Spike has the book, huh?" Angel asked as he looked over at a very fuming Slayer.  
  
"It has to be Spike, nobody else would really need that book," Buffy replied still sitting with her arms crossed and giving the world a 'don't screw with me' glare that would have been very scary if there was anyone there other than Angel.  
  
"Well, I'll start asking around about his new lair later, but right now I'd like to know who caused this to you?" Angel said the a look of compassion.  
  
"There's a new Slayer," Buffy huffed as if that explained everything.  
  
"A new Slayer? But. . Um, How? You're still alive," Angel seemed as confused about this as Buffy was mad.  
  
"Giles thinks it's from either when I became a Vampire in the dream world or when I almost drowned," Buffy explained bluntly not changing her expression.  
  
"That's, um that's incredible," Angel replied still not sure why Buffy was mad. "I'd think you'd be happy about having some more real help in fighting evil."  
  
"She says I'm as bad as the creatures I kill!" Buffy said loudly as she stood in anger. "Where does that little red haired tramp get off saying anything about killing things! She did it herself!"  
  
"What? Wait, go back. What do you mean she said you're as bad as those you slay?" Angel asked not sure what was going on.  
  
"She said killing is wrong. I know killing is wrong! That's why I stop those that kill people! But nooo that isn't right according to the little sexually confused new Slayer! They're people too! Can't kill the Vampires and Demons just because they are minions of evil! Or you're as bad as they are!" Buffy ranted as she stomped around the room then she turned towards Angel and stormed towards him. "Then she has the audacity to say that Vampires still have SOULS!?! Why? Cause she can see them!"  
  
Angel watched the display slightly amused, slightly worried, Buffy hadn't been this worked up in along while. He took a moment so she could calm down enough to listen before adding anything, "What she's seeing is a life force. Everything that moves and thinks has one. Vampires drink the blood of the living to refuel ours so we can continue existing."  
  
"So she's wrong!" Buffy looked up victorious.  
  
"No, not completely. The Asians call what she sees Ki and the physical manifestation of it Chi, they tend to believe it's related to one's soul. . . so to her it is a soul," Angel corrected then regretted it as Buffy sat down crest fallen onto the couch. "I should meet her sometime. You did tell her about me, right?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, you were DEFINITELY a topic that came up," Buffy replied sarcastically rolling her eyes up.  
  
"What did she say about me?" Angel asked dreading the answer.  
  
"She said that just because you had your FULL soul back didn't make you one of the good guys," Buffy said looking angry again.  
  
"It doesn't," Angel agreed calmly causing Buffy to bolt upright.  
  
"But you are one of the good guys!"  
  
"Yes, but that was by personal choice, not from getting my soul back," Angel replied. "Buffy. . . I was a bastard when I was mortal. I didn't care about anyone but myself, and my enjoyment. I wasn't taken against my will, I agreed to become a Vampire."  
  
"But. . but. . "Buffy looked more confused.  
  
"When the Gypsies gave me back my soul it could've backfired and had me still kill them all, but for a moment I had enough spark of humanity to realize the pain I had caused. I could have chosen to retreat from the world and wallow in self pity at either what I had lost or what I had done," Angel explained as he got up and paced himself. ". Buffy, I had to choose to redeem myself, redemption didn't come with the soul."  
  
"But. . but. . she said I should kill you because. . . because you killed a lot of people before," Buffy said in a little girl's type of voice sounding more like she was asking her father to tell her Santa Claus was real and not fake like Suzy Miller told her.  
  
"Did she really say you should kill me?" Angel asked leaning his head to one side and giving her a small smile. "That doesn't sound right coming from someone who doesn't like to kill anyone."  
  
"Well. . . She said that by the Slay. . . my definitions of who should be slain. . . that I would have to slay you too," Buffy replied turning her head away sad and embarrassed.  
  
"Buffy, - sigh â€" She's right," Angel stated and got the response he expected of her spinning around and gaping at him like a fish. "You believe any creature who has killed innocent people should be slain. I've killed a lot of people in my time, and I'm not a human anymore no matter what I look like. So by what you've been taught I should be slain."  
  
"But. . but. . You're not evil!" Buffy countered weakly as she jumped up and hugged him out of desperation.  
  
"Yes, but I could be. You could be, even Xander. . . okay maybe not Xander, but a soul doesn't make that decision for us. . . it just helps," Angel said softly as he held Buffy hearing her sob into his shirt, this was effecting her more than he would ever expect it would.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan look at the surrounding graveyard in distaste, she really didn't like it here but she was waiting. She had been here for almost an hour waiting and she was getting very impatient. Finally a movement to her left caused her to move. Leaping into the air she landed behind the person who was trying to sneak up on her as lightly as she could, then took a relaxed stance with her head to one side and her arms crossed under her breasts, "Took you long enough."  
  
Buffy spun around with a stake out ready to fight who ever was behind her but relaxed slightly when she realized who it was, "Don't give people heart attacks like that! I could of hurt you!"  
  
"You were sneaking up on me," Ranma-chan replied coldly. "Besides you couldn't hurt me if you tried. You're too slow."  
  
"WHAT!?!" Buffy shouted in anger. "I didn't even want to be here! But Giles said I was to meet you and show you how to patrol! Now I have to put up with your insults? I don't think so!"  
  
"Um, look. . . Sorry about that too slow thing, okay?" Ranma-chan put her head down sadly. "I don't like this Slayer thing, and when I don't like things I kinda lash out verbally with things like insults."  
  
Buffy looked at the girl and could tell she was being sincere about the apology, evidently hiding her true emotions was something Ranma-chan didn't do well. "You won't make friends like that you know."  
  
"I know. It caused a lot of problems between me and my fiance, Akane," Ranma-chan stated with a sad shrug. "Akane was as bad as me, just. . . more violent."  
  
"Wow, you're engaged? What's he like?" Buffy asked looking a little shocked.  
  
"SHE is very violent, tends to hit me every time I stick my foot in my mouth. . . hard!" Ranma-chan replied with a small smile then turned serious again. "But technically she isn't my fiance any more."  
  
"Oh? Had a falling out?" Buffy asked concerned thinking this might be why Ranma-chan was being such a pain earlier.  
  
Ranma-chan gave her a look then started walking back to where she was originally sitting, "It was an arranged marriage. Neither one of us wanted it much and finally after I got chosen to be the NEW Slayer my Mother let us out of the agreement."  
  
"Ouch, they still do arranged marriages there. . . how medieval of them," Buffy replied as she sat on the other side of the fresh grave.  
  
"It's not common," Ranma-chan answered then looked concerned about something. "Why did Giles and Miyabi want us to watch this grave? It's the girl who died yesterday in the alley isn't it? Do they expect someone to mess with it or something?"  
  
Buffy looked at the girl confused then realized no one had explained anything to her, "The girl was killed by a Vampire, and we're here incase she turns and becomes one herself. We. . . have to stake her before she has the chance to kill someone. . . oh great. . . you don't kill things that haven't killed anyone yet. . ."  
  
Ranma-chan gave Buffy a hard stare before looking back at the grave, "If she rises I'll stake her."  
  
"Had a change of heart?" Buffy asked hopefully getting another nasty look from the red head.  
  
"It's my DUTY, and I always do what is required of me," Ranma-chan replied coldly. "No matter how much I don't like it."  
  
Buffy suddenly noticed the night got a LOT colder, almost as if it was responding to Ranma-chan's mood. She was about to mention this but the grave dirt started to shift. Before she could even move Ranma-chan shoved a stake into the ground and pulled out her hand still clean, a slight bulging in the earth showed she had hit her mark.  
  
"Usually we let them get out of the grave before dusting them," Buffy said with a sly smile tying to make a joke out of a very disturbed action she'd just witnessed.  
  
"Why? To torture them?," Ranma-chan asked sarcastically as she got up and stretched. "Hello world, I'm alive again oops no I'm not."  
  
"Hey!" Buffy replied standing up looking put off by the statement.  
  
"So, what now?" Ranma-chan asked as she leaned against a tall head stone looking very serious.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean 'what now'?"  
  
"Miyabi said I was to do a full night of patrolling, so what do we do now?" Ranma-chan replied.  
  
"I guess we can see if there are any other Vampires rising tonight, here or at any of the other three Graveyards," Buffy said looking unhappy about spending more time with Ranma-chan.  
  
"How about info on the book that was stolen? When do you think your friend will have anything to tell us?" Ranma-chan asked as she hopped on top of the head stone with ease to take a look around.  
  
"Angel will have something soon, he always does, but it's only been an hour since I talked to him so give him sometime," Buffy stated as she walked over to the head stone looking up at the distance the red head just jumped.  
  
"He also mentioned that you were mixing up souls with. . . oh what was it again. . . Key, he said they are similar but not the same thing," Buffy explained with a small smile.  
  
"It is the same thing. Ki is your life force, so is your soul. Vampires may have had theirs altered by the change but there is still a sliver of brightness behind the darkness and that means that there is a soul attached to the being,"  
  
Ranma-chan stated remaining calm. "If they didn't have that sliver of brightness I would agree with your friend and say it was nothing but the remaining energies waiting to disperse."  
  
"Brightness? Look I don't understand," Buffy said looking confused.  
  
Ranma-chan hopped down lightly and looked like she was thinking of how to explain before turning to Buffy, "Ki is a brightness around you that shows you are alive and healthy. You need it to produce a battle aura."  
  
"Battle aura?" Buffy asked still not getting it.  
  
"Yeah. . . You haven't seen a battle aura? You've got the level of training to be able too, plus the 'Gift' just enhances that ability several times," Ranma-chan said in disbelief that Buffy didn't know what she was talking about.  
  
"Just a second, I'll generate one to be visible," Ranma-chan offered as she started to concentrate. With in moments a fiery energy engulfed the red head in a colour similar to her hair causing Buffy to gasp.  
  
"H. . how?" Buffy finally asked as Ranma-chan calmed herself and the aura disappeared.  
  
"Concentration," Ranma-chan replied with a smile. "You already generate a powerful battle aura but you just don't know how to use it yet. I can teach you if ya want."  
  
"I. . I don't know. . it looks a little too weird for me," Buffy said before she turned to the sound of a large booming sound.  
  
Ranma-chan and Buffy were moving before either really thought about it, towards where the sound came from as another boom came. Both stopped as they saw what had caused the noise. . . a small hoard of Vampires around a green skinned creature surrounding a barely dresses girl about their age on an altar.  
  
"I only count about twenty, want half?" Ranma-chan asked with a smile as Buffy started her own count.  
  
"Half sounds good," Buffy replied as she came to the same figure that Ranma- chan stated upon arrival. "But if you need help call me!"  
  
"Ha, this should be easy, barely half of them have any combat skills," Ranma-chan said as she leaped towards the crowd landing on the head of one of the larger ones.  
  
Buffy wasn't too far behind her as she lashed out against these creatures.  
  
- - - -  
  
"The meeting will begin," Tomarr stated as the last of the gathering arrived, he gave the young girl on the altar he had dragged in an evil smile.  
  
"What was that?" one of the lesser minions asked as a large flash of red came from an area near by. The light ended as quickly as it had started but it had distracted Tomarr long enough as to not kill the girl with his long knife.  
  
"I have no idea, but it matters not! Start the drums!" Tomarr shouted dismissing the Vampire as the two musicians started to pound the drums at the same moment causing a large booming sound only to repeated again.  
  
As Tomarr was about to slice his knife across the belly of the girl one of his minion yanked on his robe's sleeve causing him to miss. Tomarr turned on the creature and hissed, "WHAT IS IT!? Can't you see I'm busy?"  
  
The Vampire just pointed towards two more young girls coming into the clearing within the graveyard. Tomarr smiled as he saw them as it would just give him and his minion something to play with when he was done. That thought went away when he watch the shorter one leap onto the head of a minion and snap his neck by twisting her foot. . . that wasn't good.  
  
"GET THEM!!!" He screamed in anger, inside his was panicking. . . one of them must be the Slayer.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan landed on the head of the Vampire and gave him a look down smiling slightly, "Sooo, whatcha up to? What's with the girl?"  
  
"Ha, silly girl! She's an offering for our master, as you shall be too!" he replied as he tried to grab Ranma-chan's foot still on his head.  
  
Ranma-chan looked at the creature sadly then put pressure with her foot to the Vampire's neck then twisted until a snap was heard. She landed near another before the body hit the ground and put her fist into the man's stomach sending him flying backwards to land near the green creature. With a blur of action Ranma-chan dusted one Vampire after another no longer smiling.  
  
- - - -  
  
Buffy ran up to the first one she chose and belted him across the face causing the Vampire to tumble and stagger to his feet only to find a stake to his heart as he straightened. The next one was dusted before he knew he was fighting her.  
  
She came to another and really had to step up the fight as he seemed to know how to counter punches well. She was backing off slightly until she heard Ranma-chan yell 'Switch!' then turned to find Ranma-chan trading blows with a female Vampire but she seemed be reluctant to really fight. They changed partners with easy and Buffy dusted the woman with some effort.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan was doing well, almost all her targets were gone and was about to start on the head creature when she was tackled by one of the Vampires. As she stood up she was about to attack until she realized this one was a woman and her Pop's training took over. . .  
  
She couldn't complete fight back, all she was doing was avoiding the girl and that wasn't helping because the girl seemed to know how to fight. Sensing Buffy behind her she got an idea and shouted 'Switch!' then traded places with her.  
  
The male Vampire smiled when Ranma-chan faced him and that bothered Ranma- chan, hadn't he seen what she had done to the other Vampires? She struck out with the stake and he didn't even bother to move but the wood did nothing to him and belted her across the ground.  
  
"Ha! Can't kill me that easily! I paid a lot for my heart to be moved and you won't find it before I kill you!" the Vampire boasted as he lifted Buffy off her feet and tossed her by Ranma-chan.  
  
"He's mine" Ranma-chan growled as she stopped Buffy from getting up and running forward. Walking forward calmly she made sure nothing was going to interfere with this, but all the other Vampires were destroyed and the green creature had run off to who knew where so the only one left was this thing.  
  
"Face it! You can't kill me, I had this steel collar permanently attached so you couldn't cut my neck either," the Vampire laughed as his knocked on the metal under the turtleneck causing it to ring. "I've got you beat!"  
  
"Wanna bet?" Ranma-chan said with a nasty smile holding a stake in both hands then moved forward shouting, "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  
  
In a blur of action the Vampire turned to dust as Ranma-chan turned and walked towards Buffy and the girl shaking her head in disbelief and disgust, "I can't believe that idiot put his heart in that leg!"  
  
"Which one? The left or the right?" Buffy asked as the shock of the display of speed was washed away by the concern for the girl on the altar.  
  
"The middle one," Ranma-chan stated was her mouth twisted in to a frown and she shuddered, "Actually, right behind the. . the. . I think I'm gonna be sick!"  
  
Buffy gave a look of disgust as she ripped the ropes off of the girl, "It's too bad that the green thing got away."  
  
Ranma-chan gave her a look that said 'thanks for reminding me' before leaping over a small mausoleum and disappeared from sight. A minute later a startled scream came from a very inhuman voice and died as suddenly as it started. Walking back Ranma-chan dusted herself off with a look of disgust as she approached the other girls, "I thought Vampires were the only ones who turned to dust when you killed them?"  
  
"All demons die differently, I guess it's part of the union deal or something," Buffy shrugged as she started to lead the drugged girl off followed by Ranma-chan.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So how was your first night patrolling?" Cologne asked without turning as she heard Ranma-chan come into the room.  
  
"Killed the girl in the grave. Killed twenty other Vampires with Summers. Killed a odd looking green demon who was about to kill a girl on an altar. That answer your question?" Ranma-chan stated sounding very angry as she walked over to the thermos waiting for her on the table. The change was long and drawn out and Ranma almost collapsed when it subsided but caught himself and forced his legs to work.  
  
Cologne gave the boy a concerned look before passing him a cup of tea, "This should help you regain your strength but I still think you should stay in your girl form until we get that book."  
  
"Can't. Registered as a boy at school. Have to go as a boy," Ranma said between sips of the horribly sweet liquid. As usual the old ghoul knew what she was talking about as the tea as indeed making Ranma feel better but also tired at the same time.  
  
"Get some sleep, you look like you could use it," Cologne replied with a crooked old smile.  
  
"Yeah, guess I'm more tired than I thought," Ranma said as he yawned then walked out the door towards his room.  
  
Several minutes passed and the house was quiet until a scream of utter terror erupted from the upper floor, "C. C. CAT!!!!!!!!"  
  
Cologne slapped her forehead and rushed out of the room fearing the worst.  
  
- - - -  
  
Authors Notes: Well another done and posted. Hope you people still like what you're reading as I've noticed less responses to my last couple posts. It's an ego boost when people review my work and makes me work faster on completing a new chapter (although I do have to get back to my other stories soon).  
  
I am going to have to invest in a pre reader for this story soon as the last five times I've opened this to work on I've come across horrible errors and I'm sure I've missed others. . . but that's the penalty for working start on the computer and not on paper first where I can do my editing before inputting the chapter.  
  
No hints as to the next chapters as I've come to realize that I change my mind too often to keep to what I say here about what's coming next. 


	7. Meetings

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 1  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 7  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, or any others that pick it up as it goes along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. . *Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
- Meetings -  
  
Ranma started to wake form a sounder sleep then he'd had in a long time. It was a very odd surprise to him that he didn't dream at all during the night. Dreams were always a bad thing for him and was usually happy when he didn't. First it was remembering the Neko-ken training in all it's horror, then it was about killing Saffron and almost losing Akane even though Saffron was reborn and Akane was saved. The other night it was remembering the faces of the Vampires he. . no, she killed, he definitely remembered being her and not himself. Separating himself into the male and female entity was not a good thing and he knew it but it was how his mind was cooping with what the Slayer had to do. It made his head hurt.  
  
He started to shift and sit up when he noticed a slight weight laying on his legs, his fears of what it could be were confirmed when it. . no also a she, started to purr out, "Oh, you arrre awake. Pet me, pleeeasse."  
  
Ranma leapt out of the bed and onto the dresser before trying to reply in a shaky voice and tried to wave off the approaching little beast, "Plea.Please g.go away. Shu shu, go f.find someone e.else to terrify."  
  
"Why do you find Xian Pu scary?" the cat asked in innocent confusion as it hopped off the bed and slowly walked towards the dresser.  
  
"Go. go away! Don't come here please!" Ranma pleaded sounding more and more desperate. "I c.can't take much m.more, please go away!"  
  
"But Xian Pu wants to be friends," the cat replied cocking it's head to one side before leaping into the frightened boy's arms.  
  
- - - -  
  
Cologne was standing on her staff cooking the morning breakfast whistling a very old tune while Miyabi sat at the table reading the local paper. Both stopped what they were doing when they heard the horrifying yawl that came from upstairs but only Cologne looked truly terrified at the noise.  
  
Cologne spun on Miyabi before the woman could get out of the large kitchen area, "What have you done! I locked the boy's door before he after I removed that cat last night."  
  
"I just figured that Ranma just needed to get to know Mr. Fluffy. ." Miyabi tried to explain as Cologne cut her off and a very loud sound came from up stairs.  
  
"YOU FOOL!!! Ranma's fear of cats can't be cured by putting cats around him! He just turns into a cat mentally and then has access to the Neko- ken!" Cologne shouted as she dragged the woman to the staircase to wait for the boy to appear. "He'll wake up a very anger cat and the Neko-ken is nearly unstoppable! and the only person I know who can bring him out of it is back in Japan!"  
  
"I take it this is a bad thing?" Miyabi looked worried.  
  
"Ranma will attack anyone he doesn't trust or has a grudge against," Cologne replied in anger mixed with fear.  
  
"Then we're fine, he knows us. . what?" Miyabi didn't like the look she was getting from the old woman.  
  
"We are very close to being DEAD!" Cologne stated as she grabbed Miyabi's hand again and started for the door. "Ranma wasn't a killer the last time I encountered the Neko-ken but we've been pushing the boy to do something he is morally opposed to because he's honour bound to do it. To make it plain to you, you stupid little. . HE HAS A TRUE GRUDGE AGAINST BOTH OF US AND HIS CAT PERSONALITY WILL KNOW THIS!"  
  
"Oh hell," Miyabi replied as they reached the front door hearing another door in the upper area of the house pretty much explode. Opening the door they were stopped by the presence of a girl standing there about to ring the doorbell.  
  
"Um, hi. Is Ranma home?" Willow asked with a nervous smile. "Giles gave me the address and I figured I could walk him to school. ."  
  
"Look if you valve your life RUN!" Miyabi shouted as she ran past the girl as fast as she could.  
  
Cologne was about to grab the girl's hand but stopped herself as something came to her at the same time as Neko-Ranma landed in front of the door and meowed, "We are going to need your help. Try to calm the boy down."  
  
Willow looked between the weird acting Ranma and the very old woman in wide- eyed confusion and back again, "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"He has had a very bad encounter with a cat and needs someone to calm him and comfort him so we can help him come back to himself," Cologne explained as she watched carefully the angry eyes of the boy as he prepared himself to pounce on his prey. "Don't worry he won't hurt anyone he has no grudge against."  
  
"Um. . okay," Willow replied still confused then turned to Neko-Ranma and tried to smile. "h.here kitty kitty. ."  
  
Willow didn't have a chance to continue as Neko-Ranma suddenly turned away from Cologne and smiled before leaping at her. The next thing Willow knew was that she was on her ass with a very cute, but heavy, Japanese boy trying to curl up on her lap wearing only a pair of boxers, "Um, good cat?"  
  
Cologne wasted no speed getting a glass of cold water and throwing it on Neko-Ranma causing the now girl to lift her head confused sputtering out some that got in her mouth, "Whatcha do that for!?!"  
  
Turning her head Ranma-chan realized that she was in a very weird position with the red haired girl she met yesterday that wouldn't let go of her arm most of the day, "I didn't do anything. . um like kiss you did I?"  
  
"I wish," Willow replied without thinking then blushed when she noticed both the slip and the fact she now had a very over developed red haired girl in her lap only wearing a pair of boxers. "Ah, no. no you didn't and that's okay. . yep that's just fine."  
  
Ranma-chan looked nervous again as she carefully got off of Willow's lap and shook out her hair before replying back in relief, "Good, I seem to have a bad habit of doing that when I. . Ah, become like that. ."  
  
"Darn my luck," Willow said under her breath before smiling at Ranma-chan. "Nope, you didn't do anything."  
  
Ranma-chan nodded to the girl before turning to Cologne looking very angry, "WHO LET THAT. . THAT LITTLE BEAST INTO MY ROOM!?!"  
  
"Miyabi," Cologne replied calmly as she turned to reenter the house. "She was warned but she does not seem to know when to heed the word of a very wise Elder."  
  
"It's just my luck that I'd get a Watcher who believes everyone should love c.c.cats, and has one that seems to think it's Xian Pu," Ranma rolled her eyes at her own statement then turned to the visiting girl. "So, what brought you here?"  
  
"To walk you to school," Willow smiled sweetly. "I figured you could use the company since you're new here and all."  
  
"Um, thanks," Ranma-chan replied looking nervous finally noticing the fact her breasts were bare. "I better get changed first."  
  
"Come in girl, we're about to have breakfast," Cologne offered Willow with an odd knowing smile as she watched Ranma-chan walk into the house.  
  
"Just as long as it isn't bacon that sounds great," Willow replied walking into the house then had to explain because of the odd look from Cologne. "Jewish."  
  
"Ah, I see. Well don't worry we were about to have rice and a ramien soup," Cologne said with a nod. "Ranma won't eat pork either."  
  
"Why? Is it taboo to his religion. . or training?" Willow asked confused.  
  
"Oh no, nothing like that. His best friend just happens to turn in to a pig from time to time," Cologne waved off the girls statement as she started to test the soup to be sure it hadn't been ruined during the last few minutes. "He also has a hard time eating duck too for similar reasons. . but not beef for some reason, he seems to love eating beef. And I bet if he could eat Pandas he would love that too."  
  
"Um, okay. ." Willow replied nervously not knowing if the old woman was pulling her leg or not.  
  
- - - -  
  
Miyabi stood about two blocks away in her pajamas trying to brave the idea of going back to the house or not. She had ran as far as she could before collapsing and then realized that she wasn't dressed for being in public, thankfully she was in a residential area and it was very early. She decided to wait a little longer.  
  
- - - -  
  
Cordelia Chase had a feeling that morning. That feeling was that she'd meet the man of her dreams that day, the boy she was meant to be with until the end of time. . or until she got tired of him, which ever came first. She had taken extra care with her clothes, hair, and makeup to be sure to look her very best so the man could not miss her from all the ordinary pleebs that went to that school.  
  
She couldn't believe she had to missed school the day because according to her current best friend she also missed seeing a new transfer student that was supposed to be very buff and hot to the touch. Today she wasn't going let the opportunity to meet this honey pass her, and she would make sure he 'noticed' her too.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Hey!" Willow waved to both Buffy and Xander as they approached the school, she continued a steel grip on Ranma's arm all the time.  
  
Xander gave Buffy a look before they both walked over to meet the other pair. Buffy looked a little concerned about her friend but the look on Ranma's face said Willow was in no danger from him, "Hey Wil, I see you already ran across Ranma."  
  
"He ran across me earlier," Willow joked shrugged when she received blank looks from her friends. "I thought since Ranma's new here and all he might want some company walking to school."  
  
"Doesn't Ms Gozumi drive to school in the morning?" Xander asked giving his long time friend a small smirk. "I'm sure Ranma got a ride yesterday with her, they do live together after all."  
  
"Oh. . um. . yeah I forgot," Willow replied looking a little depressed then turned to Ranma. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you walk so far when you didn't have to."  
  
Ranma put a hand behind his head and gave a over extended nervous smile, "It's okay, that wasn't much of a walk really so no big deal."  
  
Buffy and Xander gave each other looks not knowing what to think about the other boy's reaction but chalked it up to being polite, something Buffy wasn't use to from Ranma.  
  
Willow looked at her watch for a moment before dragging Ranma into the building, "Come on, we're supposed to talk to Giles before classes to prepare for the spell later."  
  
Buffy tried her best not to start giggling as she and Xander watched Ranma silently mouth 'help me' to them as he was pulled along, both knew he was strong enough to get out of the light grip Willow's strength only could put on him but he seemed reluctant to do it so she figured that Ranma might actually be just trying for humour. Xander on the other hand wasn't so impressed, "What does he think he's doing? He strings her along and then pretends to be the helpless victim to us? You aren't going to let him to get away with games like that are you? Willow's our friend!"  
  
"I don't know, it looks like Willow's doing all the playing here," Buffy finally giggled as she started into the school followed unhappily by Xander.  
  
"I'll just be happy when that spell is cast and Willow comes to her senses," Xander added under his breath.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Okay, so were is this hunk?" Cordelia asked Harmony as she got to the main out stairs.  
  
"You just missed him," Harmony replied still looking confused at what she had seen. "But I think it's too late for him, I just seen Rosenberg hanging all over him before dragging into the school."  
  
"That little mouse!?! Are you sure?" Cordelia looked shocked at the thought of Willow even talking to a handsome guy let alone latching onto one. She smelled something wrong with that idea and wrongness in Sunnydale always led back to one person, Buffy Summers, and the best place to find her was the library.  
  
Walking away from Harmony without another word she stormed towards the school library determined to save the new hun. . student from all the evil that Summers brought people.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So the spell's still set for second period?" Ranma asked Giles as he sat on the return counter. Buffy and Xander had taken chair around the main reading table but Willow was standing right beside the cursed boy smiling at no one in general just being happy.  
  
Just being happy wasn't a common thing for Willow, not since she realized that she actually didn't have a chance with the boy she thought she really liked, well nothing more than being his friend. Her thoughts of Ranma were different though, she knew some of it had to be the magic around Ranma causing it but both Giles and the old woman said it just enhanced a person's attraction to Ranma. The thing that caught her by real surprise was that she was attracted to Ranma when both male and female, Buffy and Xander only felt attraction to Ranma when he was the opposite sex to them. . so what did that really mean?  
  
"Yes, all the materials are ready and Ku Lon said she would be here to help supervise the casting so we seem to be set," Giles replied with a small controlled smile which changed as Cordelia walked into the room looking very unhappy about something. "Cordelia, what a surprise to see you here, or any library for that matter."  
  
"Yeah, whatever. I came to save another student from the freaks in this school," Cordelia replied giving a sneer to Buffy before focusing on the Japanese boy sitting causally on the counter who looked slightly confused. Her heart nearly stopped at the image she saw there, he was definitely strong and handsome as Harmony had said but she didn't even come close to how much.  
  
"Ranma, this is Cordelia Chase the school's head snob and general pain," Xander introduced as he got up and approached Cordelia with a look rivaling her original sneer. "Cordelia, Ranma Saotome."  
  
Willow took one look on Cordelia's face and didn't like what she saw, grabbing onto Ranma's arm she gave the other girl a hard look saying 'mine' which was responded to buy a huff and a look of 'you think so huh?' from Cordelia. Ranma looked between the girls and looked to the heavens before stating under his breath, "You hate me don't you."  
  
"You should know that being around these freaks is dangerous to both your health as well as your popularity," Cordelia stated in total arrogance giving Willow a disgusted look at the same time.  
  
"Freaks? I don't see any freaks. Now the people I use to deal with in Japan those were real freaks," Ranma said with a smile trying desperately to ignore the interaction between Willow and this Cordelia girl. "And as for dangerous. . not even close."  
  
"Well. . don't say I didn't warn you," Cordelia replied unsure of Ranma's reaction of not being bothered by Summer's and her little band, something had to be wrong with this somehow.  
  
"Um, thanks for the warning I guess but I think you aren't giving them a chance," Ranma smiled again as he hopped down and walked towards the table and turned to Giles and Buffy. "So I be here right after first period for that spell but we'd better get ready to get to class before it's too late."  
  
Giles coughed slightly nodding towards Cordelia at the mention of the spell as Buffy rolled her eyes at the boy's stupidity. Cordelia on the other hand walked out of the library stunned. Stopping out the door everything clicked for her, "They have him under a spell! Of course! How else would they keep someone like that around them.  
  
"They have to be stopped!" She nearly yelled causing many students around her to turn and stare at her outburst. She realized the scrutiny from the lesser students and stormed off thing about how she could stop them from casting what she figured was another spell to enslave that poor beautiful boy.  
  
- - - -  
  
"*Cough* Well, that went well considering who we were dealing with," Giles said offhanded as he picked up a book to start reading.  
  
"Is she always like that? What, never mind I already know the answer to that," Ranma started to ask but changed his mind. "I just hope she doesn't start acting like a Kuno."  
  
"A Kuno?" Xander asked cocking and eyebrow at the pigtailed boy.  
  
"Either a rich boken wielding nutcase or his also rich leotard ribbon wielding crazier sister," Ranma replied as his eye twitched slightly. "The both thought loved me when I was the opposite sex from them and hated me when I was the same sex. . they never figured out I was the same person no mater how often I changed in front of them."  
  
"Ah, poor Ranma," Willow cooed as she petted his cheek softly causing Ranma to nearly jump.  
  
"Would you please stop that!" both Ranma and Xander stated in annoyance. Ranma started to look around for a mallet out of reflex, realizing that one wasn't he looked at Giles almost pleading, "Are you sure we can't do that spell sooner?"  
  
"It will take more than half of the period to complete, so no," Giles replied repressing a small laugh. Ranma's reaction to anyone giving him any affection was weird to him and he'd have to talk to Khu Lon about it later. "And it won't solve your real problems, it'll just make things easier with the students in this school."  
  
"That will be an obvious improvement," Ranma said as he tried to move away from Willow giving her a sad but determined look. "I've been through enough 'love potions' to not want others to be forced to be attracted to someone by magic."  
  
Willow and Buffy looked at Ranma oddly for a moment, Buffy started wondering why the boy who turned girl would have encountered love potions before and what she started thinking very bad thoughts about who may have used them. Willow wasn't so effected that she couldn't think straight and she started to wonder about why she was being so open about the attraction, almost lust, she felt about Ranma. She was sure that the magic they were talking about had little to do with the base emotions towards Ranma, it just boosted her confidence allowing her to act on what she felt but why towards his female side too. . .  
  
- - - -  
  
"Ranma," Buffy called to get his attention after they had walked out of the Library and were headed for their lockers. "Can I talk to you for a moment. . privately?"  
  
Ranma looked down at his attached new body and lifted his eyebrows to say 'Well?'. Willow shrugged sadly and let go of Ranma's arm, she waited a little distance away not wanting to be away from Ranma too long.  
  
"What can I do for you?" Ranma asked as he and Buffy moved out of earshot of Willow.  
  
"What are your intentions with Willow?" Buffy asked with no pleasantness in her tone.  
  
"Hey! This wasn't my idea!" Ranma nearly shouted out of reflex then caught himself. "Maybe after the spell we should talk about this?"  
  
"No, we talk about it now. Me and Xander don't want Willow hurt and I want to know what you feel about her," Buffy crossed her arms and gave him a hard stare, it wasn't easy as thoughts of ripping off his shirt kept coming but she pushed them back with thoughts of Angel.  
  
"I. . I don't really know. It's not easy for me to know that kinda thing," Ranma said sadly looking away and catching a glimpse of the girl in question. "Before, in Japan, I was engaged to a girl. It was an arranged engagement and we both rebelled against it, so we were never honest about our feelings to each other. Then came the other problems, mostly other girls intent on making me their husband, and I spent so much time trying to avoid getting married that I didn't think about what I wanted. I've never had the sweet and kind type of girl trying, Akane would get hostile about the smallest things, Ukyo would act sweet but she was really my best friend to me and that bothered her a lot. Then there were Xain Pu and Kodachi, they both tried to drug me to love them or attacked Akane to take her out of the way."  
  
"I don't know what I feel about Willow, I don't trust my feelings anymore, but I was told that my N.N.Neko side seems to like her," Ranma tried to weakly joke.  
  
"Neko side?" Buffy asked confused but not dropping her hard look.  
  
"I'll explain that another time," Ranma replied looking nervous about the subject. "I want to wait for the spell to be cast before I make any serious thoughts about Willow, it'll let me know if she's still interested or not, but I promise you I don't play games like that with girls. . I'm am one with a little added water after all."  
  
"Fair enough," Buffy replied trying not to smile at the last part. "But I thought you didn't like becoming a girl?"  
  
"I don't!" Ranma stated firmly then calmed down. "I. . I've been able to think about the curse lately and I realize I have to get use to it as I'm likely to have it for the rest of my life. And any relationship I get into will have to deal with it too."  
  
"I guess it would be a hard thing to get use to, I don't know what I'd do if I became a guy with a little cold water," Buffy's hard look finally dropped and concern replaced it. "Just try not to hurt her."  
  
- - - -  
  
"So he was acting like a cat?" Buffy said with a confused smile. "That's what he called his Neko side?"  
  
"Yep, Neko means Cat in Japanese. Ranma is scared to death of cats and if he can't get away from them his mind does what it can to help and that is to become catlike," Willow explained as she and Buffy walked out of the gym to head to the Library for the spell. "It was very freaky this morning when Ms Gozumi bolted past me in fear and I got a man sized cat suddenly in my lap. He was only in his boxers at the time."  
  
Buffy had to shake off the image of Ranma only wearing boxers and tried to replace it with an image of Angel in only boxers, it was getting harder to do and that was starting to scare her.  
  
"But he came right out of it when Cologne poured cold water over him, it seems that the change is enough to shock him out of it," Willow almost drooled at the double image of Ranma and Ranma-chan in only boxers and she had to shake off the image herself. "He's supposed to be incredibly powerful when like that for some reason."  
  
The two continued to walk towards the Library as they talked, neither noticed that they had picked up a couple of stalkers. Cordelia had done what she could to save that poor boy, Ranma, from the evilness that was Willow Rosenberg and that was go to the Principal.  
  
"I hope you aren't wasting my time Miss Chase," Principal Snyder stated as he and Cordelia's heads poked around a set of lockers watching the two girls walking away.  
  
"Oh no Principal Snyder, I heard them talking about doing a ritual this morning. I think they're into devil worship or something. . and they are pulling that new student into their evil little group," Cordelia tried to completely ignorant of what the group was really like. "We can't let such a sweet bod. . boy be lured into a life like that."  
  
"You haven't seen Mr. Saotome's transcripts Miss Chase, if you had you might not so eager to help him," Snyder replied with a sneer of disgust. "But we can't allow delinquents to cause problems in my school."  
  
"Of course Principal Snyder," Cordelia said sounding happy to agree, inside she didn't even like being anywhere near this little weasel of a man.  
  
Snyder gave Cordelia a slightly disgusted look before heading towards the Library, "I don't like little brown nosing trouble makers either."  
  
Upon reaching the door both noticed a small sign on the door indicating the Library was closed for the period as a small rehearsal for scenes from 'The Witches of Eastwick' was being conducted and Mr. Giles apologized for the inconvenience and please don't disturb. Snyder opened the small book he was carrying and looked over the scheduled reservations for club use of school rooms and found that the Library was indeed listed to be in use. The listed club 'The Scooby Mystery Theatrics Club' he didn't remember but the listed use was for a volunteer community show.  
  
"Miss Chase, I think you have been mislead," Snyder gave the girl a nasty look.  
  
"But. . It's got to be a cover. . I mean 'Witches of Eastwick' come on, that's about a bunch of witches calling the devil," Cordelia gave a look as if that was obvious after the momentary shock of the posted sign.  
  
"Fine, Miss Chase, we'll check this rehearsal out. . to be sure that it isn't a cover for more nefarious activities," Snyder sighed in defeat before pushing the door open. "But if you are wrong expect a full week of detentions."  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma was sitting on the counter again as Willow and Buffy came into the Library and smiled weakly at the pair, "Hey, took you long enough."  
  
"We choose to shower after gym, unlike others," Buffy countered smoothly.  
  
"I would too if the class even made me sweat at all," Ranma shrugged. "Though I do like gymnastics, both men's and women's."  
  
"Yeah, like wow. I've Buffy do some of that stuff when she's fighting but. . wow," Xander said from where he was putting down a candle. "I think the Coach is seeing medals and trophies in his visions after that display."  
  
"I really don't care what he sees in his daydreams, I don't do the competition stuff," Ranma replied seriously then muttered, "Unless I really have to.."  
  
"Yes, well that's good and all but that doesn't get the spell don. . oh hello Principal Snyder, Cordelia, " Giles quickly changed gears as he watched the big eared little man walk into the room.  
  
"Mr. Giles. I just wanted to take a look at the little theater group you have here," Snyder stated unhappily as he looked at each one of the gathered students. "As I remember The Witches of Eastwick had three female witches and I only count two, plus Mr. Harris and Mr. Saotome. Now unless one of these two are planning to go in drag you seem to need another witch."  
  
"Ranma is playing the Nicholson part," Willow quickly stated as she moved over and grabbed his hand giving a possessive smile to Cordelia which earned her a disturbed eye twitch for the rich girl.  
  
"I'm. . Ah. . doing stage work. I'm not very good at acting," Xander added when Snyder turned to gaze at him.  
  
"So you are a witch short," Snyder confirmed to himself and gave a sneaky smile to the group. "Well you're in luck as Miss Chase has just volunteered to join your little company of player."  
  
"What!? I didn't. ." Cordelia started to complain under Snyder cut her off.  
  
"It either you join these. . player or suffer through two weeks of detention, your choice," Snyder said firmly. "I don't like my time wasted by anyone."  
  
"But. .but. . alright," Cordelia agreed with her head down depressed.  
  
Snyder walked out not looking very happy at all. When finally out of the Library he headed for his office and the phone, "The Mayor will want to know about the addition in those misfits."  
  
"Great, now I have to deal with you freaks until finish your evil little spell," Cordelia said in arrogant annoyance, crossing her arms and not looking like she was about to help at all.  
  
"You could have kept your nose out of things and this wouldn't have happened," Ranma replied sounding on the verge of being very angry. "I really don't know you and you don't know me but this is to help me and you just about forced us to stop it."  
  
"But I was trying to save you from the evil little spells these foul witches will cast," Cordelia pouted with big eyes to Ranma.  
  
"Now you even sound like a Kuno, and that isn't a good thing!" Ranma rolled his eyes. "They aren't foul witches and this spell is my choice, so go sit down and don't interfere!"  
  
Cordelia sniffed after what felt like a slap to her but when to a chair and sat down as the others got into their positions. Ranma was put in the center of a nicely drawn circle and Giles and Willow started to speak the words to the spell. It took a long time to complete but everyone in the room could feel the energy in the room start to build. At the final words a burst of magical energy spread from Ranma in a sphere quickly flowing out into the school as a double ghost like image of Ranma-chan seemed to stand just in front of Ranma until the energy dispersed completely and all involve were knocked down.  
  
"Ow," Willow said as Ranma helped her up being the first person on their feet. "That was more than I was expecting."  
  
"Yes, quite." Giles agreed as he was helped up by Buffy. "The spell was much more powerful than expected. I think the magic of the curse interacted in the magic of the spell."  
  
"So did it work?" Ranma asked concern and not happy as he had being feeling very odd since the energy dispersed.  
  
"Yeah I think so, I can look at you without picturing you naked now," Buffy replied with a small smile. "Though I realize you're still handsome and all but I don't have to same pull to you."  
  
"Good," Ranma was satisfied then noticed to odd looks aimed at him. One was from Willow, which he expected. . dreaded but expected, and the other was from Cordelia. Deciding that Willow deserved dealing with first he turned and gave her a weak smile, "Are you okay?"  
  
Willow blushed and looked shy for a moment then shook herself out of it before replying, "Ah. . just peachy."  
  
"Are you. . ah. . still, um, still. ." Ranma had a hard time asking as he didn't know if he wanted the answer, in either way.  
  
"Y.yes I think I am," Willow replied giving him a small smile with her head down and looking at him through her hair. "I hope that. . that's okay with you?"  
  
"You know, I think it is," Ranma smiled back giving the girl's hand a small squeeze. "As long as you can give me a little more room then you have been."  
  
"I'll try," Willow squeezed back.  
  
"Great freaks in love," Cordelia stated from across the room then realized who she included in the statement. "I don't me you Ranma, I just. . just. . What was with the image of the girl in that spell?"  
  
"Oh right, you don't know about the curse," Xander replied as he stated to right the chairs around the table.  
  
"Curse?" Cordelia looked from Xander back to Ranma in confusion.  
  
"Um, yeah. I turn into a girl from time to time," Ranma said unhappily then turned to Willow. "Could you get me a class of water?"  
  
"Sure," Willow replied and moved to the little office quickly to return with both a glass of cold and a glass of hot water.  
  
"Watch closely," Ranma prompted as he poured the cold water over now her head and the very strong male form turned into a smaller supermodel of a younger girl.  
  
Cordelia gasped at the site putting both hands over her mouth in shock and Ranma seemingly became more depressed, "I know it's freaky. . probably why I hang out with the people you call freaks, but I'm trying to live with this and could use as little grief about it as possible."  
  
Cordelia still just looked at him without saying anything even though her mouth was opening and closing. Ranma-chan cocked an eyebrow as Xander walked over and waved a hand in front of her face which earned him a nasty glare from the rich girl.  
  
"What?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
"You're Ranko Tendo!" Cordelia finally stated with a confused smile.  
  
"How. . how do you know that name!?!" Ranma-chan asked loudly in pure shock earning her confused looks from the others.  
  
"I have all your competition tapes! The Martial Rhythmic Gymnastic fight with the Black Rose, the Martial Cheerleading competition, and all the others!" Cordelia replied with a huge smile. "I'm like your biggest fan! I even have the push dolls from Japan!"  
  
Ranma-chan stood there unable to respond at what she had just heard, the others where in a similar state of shock and confusion. After a moment she snapped out of it and said one word to the heavens, "Nabiki!"  
  
"Wait! If you are Ranko. . oh god I'm an idiot for not recognizing you before," Cordelia added as she looked annoyed with herself even though she was still smiling. "You're also Ryu Tendo. . I have all those tapes too."  
  
Ranma-chan collapsed upon hearing the last and slowly started to get up, "Ryu Tendo?"  
  
"I guess the fact you were using a name like 'Ranma Saotome' was why I didn't realize that you were him. . I me you," Cordelia smiled again. "Must be something like going incognito or something?"  
  
"Or something," Ranma-chan made sure that her footing was secure before continuing. "You collected my tapes and. . plush dolls?"  
  
"Oh yes, I have all of the dolls including the hard to get Azusa and Panda ones, and not the Hong Kong knock offs," Cordelia seemed very proud of that fact. "My cousin got me hooked on it after she got back from an exchange trip to Japan. It's some of the best martial cinematics that I've seen, even though it said to be done by a highschool cinema club. The special effects are better then some of the stuff that I've seen in the movies. . so realistic, if you can call huge energy balls being thrown around real."  
  
Ranma-chan was twitching at Cordelia's continuing explanation, it started as just an eye twitch then progressed from there to where her whole body was giving a shake that looked almost epileptic, Willow grabbed on to the red haired Japanese girl to try to get her to stop but Ranma-chan moved out of her grip and walked to the other girl with a evil little smile, "I'd love to get a copy of the tapes, I don't mind they won't be the originals but I need to talk to someone about them and I'd like to have a fast set to show them at the time."  
  
"Um, sure I'll make you a copy of them, I should have a set by tomorrow for you," Cordelia replied with a smile.  
  
"Thank you," Ranma-chan smiled and turned back to face the doors as Cologne finally came through the doors. "Took you long enough. I thought you were supposed to be here to help us make sure we didn't screw up?"  
  
"I would have, Child, but I had a small encounter on my way here," Cologne smiled.  
  
"Oh wow! It's Obaba from the tapes too!" Cordelia exclaimed excitedly causing the old woman to give her a sharp glare.  
  
"My name is Khu Lon, not 'Obaba' as that silly girl Nabiki chose for her little enterprise," Cologne stated sounding annoyed then noticed that Ranma- chan was starting to glow blue and hopped back slightly.  
  
"You knew about the tapes?" Ranma-chan asked very quietly as the room suddenly got very very cold. "Why didn't you tell me about them?"  
  
"I thought you and the Mercenary had come up with the idea, If I had known otherwise I would have told you," Cologne replied with a small shrug then smiled again. "Now before we get too far from things I should explain what delayed me."  
  
Cologne opened the other door to show them. . nothing. Taking note of the blank looks she turned and cursed lightly then hopped out of the room. It took her a few moments to come back with the boy she was leading into the room. His clothes were a little worn and dirty and a bandana held back the long bangs of his hair, the traveling pack on his back had obviously seen a lot of use.  
  
"Ryouga!?!" both Ranma-chan and Cordelia exclaimed in shock, although Cordelia's was in happier shock than Ranma-chan's  
  
"Um, Hi," Ryouga replied nervously with a hand behind his head, smiling in confusion.  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's Notes: And then there was Ryouga. People asked and here he is for a chapter or two (not counting this one). I know Cordelia seems out of character after she recognizes Ranma-chan then Ranma (okay maybe a little sooner than that) but she has to have quirks and I figured a budding actress would find a series of movies done by people her own age with what looked like professional levels of work would hook her and inspire her, thus meeting Ranko in person would be like meeting a popular star you liked in person.  
  
Next on RTVS: Ranma, Buffy, Ryouga? go patrolling plus back to the Spike and Dru storyline. ( And I'll try to stick to this plan )  
  
- - - - 


	8. Old Friends, New Friends

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 1  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 8  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first  
published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by  
Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy  
the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what  
ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth  
Century Fox, Paramount or any others that pick it up as it goes  
along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off  
them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please  
don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. .  
*Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other  
people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
- Old Friends, New Friends -  
  
"Ryouga!?!" both Ranma-chan and Cordelia exclaimed in shock,  
although Cordelia's was happier sounding than Ranma-chan's  
  
"Um, Hi," Ryouga replied nervously with a hand behind his head,  
smiling in confusion.  
  
Ranma-chan was in front of the bandana wearing travel weary boy  
before anyone realized she had moved, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I. . I, um, came to say hi," Ryouga replied with a very nervous  
smile.  
  
"What, no 'DIE SAOTOME!' or 'You're the cause of all my problems  
Ranma!'?" Ranma-chan asked as she narrowed her eyes at the boy.  
  
"Ah, no. For some reason I'm not mad at you," Ryouga stated  
realizing he wasn't and that was very unusual for him. "Went to the  
Dojo to see if you wanted to spar and found out you were no longer  
there. . ."  
  
"So you went looking for me? Why? You hate me!" Ranma-chan stated in  
disbelief. "and you could have Akane to yourself now since the  
engagement was dissolved by my mother. . . well all to yourself if  
you don't count Kuno or any of the other guys chasing after her."  
  
"Um, yeah I could. . . But I finally chose Akari when I saw you and  
Akane at Jusendo, and I'm not going to be unfaithful to her," Ryouga  
smiled at the mention of the Sumo-pig training girl.  
  
"Um, hi. Sorry to interrupt.. but are you really Ryouga Hibiki?"  
Cordelia asked with a stars struck look in her eyes.  
  
Ryouga looked between Ranma-chan and the dark haired girl then back  
to Ranma-chan not really confused just a little shocked, "You mean  
those tapes made it here too?"  
  
Ranma-chan's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, "You KNEW about the  
tapes!"  
  
"Well, yeah," Ryouga replied stepping back after seeing the angry  
glare in the red head's eyes. "What? You didn't? I thought it was a  
scheme you and Nabiki started to help pay for the damages we caused  
the Dojo. I was a little annoyed at first, but the tapes aren't that  
bad."  
  
"But since you lose so often to me I would think that would make you  
very angry," Ranma-chan said as she calmed down a bit.  
  
"Nah not really, I come out looking better than Kuno or Mousse,  
especially since I'm the only one that can really give you a  
challenge in a fight," Ryouga smiled as he patted the girl on the  
shoulder.  
  
Ranma-chan lifted an eyebrow at the boy, "You being nice to me is  
really starting to creep me out. . . and when did you learn to speak  
English!?!"  
  
"I know lots of languages," Ryouga replied as he looked at the rest  
of the room. There was a blonde girl talking to a tall older man  
about something, both were basically trying to ignore Ranma's  
conversation. The other red haired girl was standing just behind  
Ranma to his left and seemed to want to stay out of it but kept  
giving him looks of concern. A black haired boy was between the two  
sets of people trying to decide which he should get involved in but  
no decision seemed to be coming soon. And last the black haired girl  
who had known his name when he came in was standing just off to  
Ranma's right looking like she was about to burst from not saying  
anything, it was the look of stars struck in her eyes that made  
Ryouga nervous but he tried to ignore her. "I travel a lot remember."  
  
"If you want to or not," Ranma-chan snickered slightly and Ryouga's  
eyes drew narrow.  
  
"So how'd you find me so soon? I've only been here a few days,"  
Ranma-chan continued trying not to laugh at the lost boy's  
expression. "I didn't think you could ever catch a plane on time to  
get this far."  
  
"Why would I use a plane? It wasn't that far by walking," Ryouga  
stated looking a little confused.  
  
"Sunnydale isn't in Japan, Ryouga, it's in America," Ranma-chan  
informed him with a small smile.  
  
"There's a large body of water between the two called an ocean,"  
Xander piped up as he finally decided that this conversation was more  
interesting then standing by himself. "You can't just walk across it."  
  
"I never crossed any water getting here," Ryouga replied looking a  
little confused.  
  
"Of course you didn't," Ranma-chan put a hand to her forehead and  
shook her head slightly. "You just try to get somewhere and you do,  
it takes you awhile and takes you all over the place, but you always  
get where you're going."  
  
"That's a good possibility but it doesn't explain how he gets lost  
so much," Cologne said as she smiled at Ranma-chan.  
  
"Either he's too preoccupied to have a defined destination or it's a  
side effect of being able to travel anywhere in the world with little  
effort. . to balance things out a little," Ranma-chan replied  
surprised at her own explanation. "Magic tends to be like that,  
doesn't it?"  
  
"Yes magic does tend to do things like that," Cologne agreed pleased  
at the girl's understanding. "I still believe that it is a curse of  
misdirection and the side effect is that if he's determined enough he  
can get where he's is going regardless of what's in the way."  
  
"Same thing that I said just flipped around," Ranma-chan said mostly  
to herself.  
  
"Curses? We can deal with curses," Willow added with a smile. She  
grabbed Ranma-chan's hand before looking towards Giles and Buffy, "We  
can cure a misdirection curse right Giles?"  
  
Giles looked over at the other group and adjusted his glasses  
slightly, "That depends on the type and power of the curse that has  
been cast on the victim."  
  
"It was cast on one of his ancestors and it's pasted down his  
father's family line. . although his mother has it too," Ranma-chan  
replied before Ryouga could protest that there wasn't a problem.  
  
"Well either the entity that cast the curse is reinforcing it with  
each generation or the magic should be getting weaker," Giles stated  
as he looked off into space for a moment. "If it's the first we have  
to summon the entity and either get it to remove the curse or defeat  
it in some kind of challenge or we simply have to redirect the  
magical energy to be used in some other way."  
  
"We can look into it later if you want Ranma," Willow said with a  
big smile then blushed.  
  
"Yes, well we should deal with Spike and Drusilla first then we will  
have time to look into these other spells," Giles reminded turning  
very serious. "But even before that you all have classes to get back  
to soon."  
  
"Right, and I should change back so I do get looked at funny," Ranma-  
chan added as she took the second glass from Willow, the water in it  
was still hot enough to activate the change. Dumping it over her head  
she immediately was racked with pain as her form blurred, it didn't  
clear for several seconds then stopped leaving Ranma-chan still a  
girl laying on the floor. "Ouch. . ."  
  
"What happened?" Cologne asked as she reached the red head, closely  
followed by Willow and Cordelia.  
  
"I.I don't know," Ranma-chan replied as she started to stand up very  
unsteady. "It's like the curse was fighting it more that before. .  
maybe the water wasn't hot enough."  
  
Hopping over the library counter with little effort Ranma-chan  
grabbed the kettle off the hot plate and was happy to note that it  
was indeed hotter then what was in the glass. Pouring it over her  
head simply caused a sudden yelp from her and nothing else, panic  
stricken she dumped the rest of it over her head also with no effect.  
Standing there she was far from realizing that it didn't even cause  
the weakening effects it did before but others noticed.  
  
"I was afraid of this," Cologne said sadly as she hopped around to  
the girl. "I wondered if the magic that held the attraction spell  
might be pulled towards the stronger field generated by the Jusenkyo  
curse."  
  
Ranma-chan's head snapped up and gave the old Amazon a very dark  
look, "You could have told me that before we did the spell!"  
  
"Don't worry child, this can be undone with the spell to balance out  
you curse," Cologne replied trying to sound calm and comforting.  
"You'll just have to handle staying a girl for a little while. It's  
not that bad, and it's not the first time you had too after all."  
  
"But why did this spell you talked about cause Ranma to stay a  
girl?" Ryouga asked in a lot of concern, after all they talked about  
using magic to cure his wandering problem and he didn't like the idea  
he might end up a little pig permanently after.  
  
"Yeah, I don't get it either. That spell had nothing to do with his  
sex changing curse, just getting rid of his. . sexual attraction  
curse. . never mind," Xander started then realized a possible  
connection and kind of felt foolish as probably everyone else more  
magically minded had already figured that out.  
  
"Oh dear," Giles replied as Willow slapped her forehead as it  
clicked for them. "Gender and attraction are connected so a transfer  
of energy from one the other would be easy. . I feel like a bloody  
idiot right now."  
  
"I doubt it mattered that the magical energy were similar, I have a  
feeling that the Gift was waiting for any extra magic to help get  
what it wanted," Cologne countered calmly. "The Gift expects a girl  
and Ranma's changing to a man confuses the power, it's done what it  
thinks it has too to truly combine with Ranma."  
  
"You act like it is alive and conscious?" Buffy stated looked  
confused and unhappy. "It's just a bit of power how could it think?"  
  
"Magic has a life girl, and the Gift has been connect to so many  
girls over the centuries that it easily developed something close to  
a consciousness," Cologne explained with a small smile. "My sister  
and I discovered this when she had the Gift a long time ago. . And I  
can feel part of her Ki in the power that you both hold now as I  
could feel the flow of Ki in Ranma when I met 'her' of that which was  
Chinese Amazon."  
  
"Is that why you were teaching her?" Ryouga asked shocked, Ranma-  
chan probably would have asked it first if she wasn't currently in a  
state of shutting down and being comforted by the other red haired  
girl. "We all figured it wasn't about him marrying Shampoo, even you  
could see she never had a chance."  
  
"Oh? Like you could see you never had a chance with the young Tendo  
girl?" Cologne countered as her face became serious again.  
  
"I. . I. . Fine! So everyone has an emotional blind spot!" Ryouga  
huffed out as he turned away from the old woman.  
  
"Excuse me, but if Ranko Tendo and Ryu. . I mean Ranma are the same  
person how is she going to go to class as a girl? He's registered as  
a boy isn't he?" Cordelia asked from the other side of Ranma-chan  
trying to comfort the girl as Willow was doing.  
  
"Um. . Yes, Cordelia has a valid, and intelligent point," Giles  
replied as he gave Cologne a questioning look.  
  
"Principal Snyder knows about the curse," Ranma-chan answered  
finally although she sounded very close to tears and that worried two  
people in the room very badly. "Miyabi and Khu-Lon felt it would be  
better if he knew about the problem and I'm enrolled as both sexes."  
  
"Snyder didn't make an issue of this?" Xander blinked in shock.  
"That doesn't sound like our Principal at all."  
  
"Yes, I agree, it sounds very odd," Giles added still expecting her  
to answer him.  
  
"He understood and agreed to it very easily as we had school and  
medical documentation to back it up. And having Ranma prove it in  
front of him also helped," Cologne replied. "He seemed a very  
reasonable man."  
  
"Compared to the last Principal I had to deal with," Ranma-chan  
added as she noticed the wide-eyed look of disbelief all the other  
were giving Cologne. "I get to participate in either of the gym  
classes based what form I choose to be in. . and he even said to use  
either washroom in case of emergencies."  
  
"What!?!" Xander and Ryouga both exclaimed. Ryouga gave Ranma-chan  
an angry look as Xander gave her a look of wonder. Xander was the  
first to continue, "Oh man, every guy in this school is going to envy  
you!"  
  
"Akane was right! You are a pervert!" Ryouga started to shout before  
Xander finished so both voices seemed to overlap.  
  
"Hey! Trust me, I have enough problems with my own female body to go  
looking at other girls like that!" Ranma-chan yelled back angry. "I  
have never had any interest that way since I got this curse, it's got  
to be something to do with the mystery and curiosity being gone!"  
  
"Yeah! It's not like if she wanted to gaze at a naked girl she  
couldn't just look at her own gorgeous body!" Willow backed up Ranma-  
chan then realized what she had said and eeped as she blushed and  
tried to hide slightly behind the Japanese girl.  
  
"Well, that's good and all but we are going to be late for class,  
and we really don't have to worry about the locker room until  
tomorrow afternoon so we have lots of time to see if Ranma can change  
back before then," Buffy stated as she headed for the Library door,  
before leaving she turned and looked at the beleaguered girl, "So  
patrolling tonight?"  
  
Ranma-chan nodded unhappily, "I won't let a small thing like this  
interfere with my duty of killing the Vampires and other creatures  
that invade this town, it is a matter of honour after all."  
  
"Good see you later," Buffy walked out the door ignoring the sound  
of displeasure in Ranma-chan's voice.  
  
Cordelia turned to Giles and gave him a confused look, "Vampires?"  
  
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in near defeat before he  
started to explain to the girl about the realities of the world.  
  
- - - -  
  
"What took you?" Ranma-chan asked Buffy when the blonde finally  
showed up at the meeting place. She raised an eyebrow when she  
noticed that Willow, Xander, Giles, and Cordelia had tagged along,  
"And what's with the crowd?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," Buffy countered as she indicated  
the other Japanese boy from earlier beside Ranma-chan.  
  
"Ryouga's pretty good in a fight," Ranma-chan replied as Willow came  
over to her and latched on, thankfully not as tightly as she first  
did but it was still a little too possessive to comfort Ranma-chan.  
"I don't want anyone who isn't a fighter having a chance to get hurt."  
  
"Hey! We help Buffy patrol often," Xander stated offended by the  
accusation. "Well, everyone here but Cordelia."  
  
"I want to see this Vampire stuff," Cordelia said in annoyance. "I  
was starting to think I was going crazy with the things I was seeing  
so I want proof they exist!"  
  
"Fine, but stay out of the fighting," Ranma-chan replied through  
gritted teeth, this wasn't her decision and if the other Slayer  
wanted to risk other peoples lives that was her problem. . . yeah,  
right.  
  
"I'm not going to fight anything, I might break an nail," Cordelia  
said looking somewhat disgusted.  
  
"Or a hand, possibly an arm, we could always hope for a neck,"  
Xander continued for her which earned him a nasty look for the girl.  
  
"Yes, well we should get started before too many of them rise,"  
Giles stated trying to defuse the situation slightly.  
  
"You still haven't told me why you are late," Ranma-chan reminded  
Buffy obviously not moving until she got an answer.  
  
"I was looking for Angel," Buffy replied in annoyance although she  
looked worried. "He was supposed to have met me right after the sun  
set and he wasn't home either."  
  
"If you want we can try looking for him tonight," Ranma-chan offered.  
  
"Unfortunately we don't have the option of doing that until later,"  
Giles interrupted before Buffy could reply. "There was three Vampire  
victims buried here today and we need to find them before they get  
loose."  
  
"You know this wouldn't be a big problem if you people got in a  
habit of cremation," Ranma-chan stated in all seriousness.  
  
"You know, she has a good idea there," Xander agreed energetically.  
"It would cut down the amount of time we spend creeping through  
graveyards late at night."  
  
"Oh yes, why don't we go to city hall about getting a cremation  
enforcement law passed so there will be less Vampires that have to be  
staked," Giles replied sarcastically.  
  
"And we don't creep, we sneak around in graveyards late at night,"  
Willow corrected with a small smile.  
  
"Um, yeah, I guess that sounds better," Ryouga said giving Ranma-  
chan a look that said 'you hang around with these people?'.  
  
"Okay then after the Vampires!" Ranma-chan stated in frustration,  
being stuck in girl form was fraying her nerves and nobody seemed to  
care.  
  
Ranma-chan turned and headed off farther into the cemetery towards  
the newer graves quickly caught up to by Buffy then turned her head  
back, "Would someone please keep track of Ryouga so he doesn't get  
lost."  
  
"I don't get. . . oh never mind," Ryouga tried to counter in  
annoyance but stopped himself when he realized Ranma-chan was to his  
left and not in front of him. Cordelia smiled at him as she grabbed  
his arm and started to follow the others.  
  
"So, where do you think Angel might be?" Ranma-chan asked Buffy as  
she scanned the area around her.   
  
"I don't know. . . he was looking for Spike and Drusilla. . . he may  
have found them," Buffy replied looking worried. "He's tough but even  
he can be overpowered. . ."  
  
"Fine, after we're done here we both start looking at some of the  
most likely places and if we find either this Spike person or your  
Angel we contact each other before going in," Ranma-chan stated  
firmly before she stopped then turned slightly to her left. "One of  
them is this way."  
  
"How can you tell?" Buffy asked as she suddenly had to run to keep  
up the red haired girl.  
  
"Told you that even Vampires have an aura, I just started looking  
for any trace of that in an area that shouldn't have any," Ranma-chan  
explained as she moved from a quick walk to a sprint. "Khu Lon  
suggested to do it to find the Vampires faster."  
  
"Cool, that would help cut back on the hunting time," Buffy replied  
as both of them entered an area that had the newer graves, they both  
stopped as they realized that there was more than one there. "Spike?"  
  
Spike stood at the head of ten Vampires, five to each side of him,  
and gave the girls a sly smile, "Well hello Slayer, wasn't expecting  
you here tonight."  
  
Turning his gaze towards the red haired Asian girl he lifted an  
eyebrow as his smile widened, "And you would the girl I heard of that  
killed a few. . friends of mine the other night? I hear you called  
yourself the Slayer too."  
  
"I thought you said their was only one in this direction?" Buffy  
asked in wide eyed shock at the mass of the Vampires, it wasn't as  
bad as the other night but it was still more than she liked to deal  
with at once.  
  
"Hey I've never used it the track before!" Ranma-chan replied in  
annoyance before turning serious towards the blonde haired Vampire.  
"You look more intelligent then the others around you, I don't want  
to kill you but if you don't give the book you took back I will."  
  
"A Slayer who doesn't want to kill a Vampire? How bleeding novel.  
Sorry girl I need that book right now, it's important to someone. .  
special to me," Spike smiled as he shrugged slightly. Making a small  
waving motion the other Vampires ran forward, "Anyhow it's a moot  
point right now. Get them."  
  
Ranma-chan was thankful for two things at the moment: One, there  
were no female Vampires among those about to attack. And two, that  
she wasn't alone as some of these Vampires knew how to fight and she  
wasn't do good against multiple opponents. Spinning around she caught  
one in the jaw with her foot sending him back over towards the one  
known as 'Spike' and then had to content with four more who seemed  
trained to work together.  
  
Buffy was punching and kicking as best she could but was fast  
realizing that the Vampires were getting the upper hand. She hadn't  
even come close to staking any of them yet and she was going to be  
sporting a few large bruises the next day already. She gave one a  
solid punch to the chest sending him back then felt that someone was  
behind her. Spinning she was shocked to see the Asian boy, that Ranma-  
chan had brought with her, had picked the Vampire off the ground by  
the back of the neck and throw him into the air as an odd field of  
green energy started to fill the area around him. The Vampire fell  
back towards the ground but never touch it as the boy yelled out  
'Shishi Hokodan!' and the area lit up like an explosion of green  
light.  
  
"Show off!" Ranma-chan called back as she leaped of one Vampires  
head and spin kicked another. "And just what do you have to be  
depressed about anyhows!?!"  
  
"That I'm not with Akari," Ryouga replied with a weak smile as he  
punched another Vampire towards Ranma-chan.  
  
"Weak! Very weak pig boy!" Ranma-chan said as she pushed her stake  
through the chest of the one that Ryouga sent her. The others around  
her were a little too shocked to really fight for a moment.  
  
"Hey! I haven't been insulting you now have I? And why haven't you  
been using any chi attacks? This new power of yours make you too weak  
or something?" Ryouga looked hurt for a split second then smiled back  
with a bit of mirth.  
  
"I've been trying to have a little fun with the fight instead just  
killing them," Ranma-chan's look was easy for Ryouga to read, unlike  
him Ranma really didn't want to kill these things. It wasn't as if  
Ryouga was enjoying killing the Vampires himself, but he wasn't above  
the act. He actually was pleased to know that even after Saffron  
Ranma was still reluctant to kill. . it meant a lot of people were  
going to live longer, especially Ranma's Father.  
  
Spike watched the green explosion like everyone around him but  
wasn't as shocked as the lesser Vampires. He gave the situation a nod  
as he turned and left the fight before trying out the new girl. He  
definitely wanted the have a go with the red head as she was  
obviously a better fighter than the other two Slayers he'd killed  
years ago but he wasn't stupid enough to do it here and now.  
  
Cordelia was almost panicking at the sight of the Vampire turning to  
dust a few feet in front of her. It proved that what she had seen at  
the Bronze all that time ago had actually happened. Ryouga's little  
display of explosive power shocked her a little too but only in so  
much as showed her that the tapes she loved didn't use as much  
special effects as she, and many others, thought they did.  
  
Before Cordelia knew it she knew it Xander pushed a wooden object  
into her hands and gave her a firm look, "If any come close to you  
scream out and try to use that by thrusting into it's heart, we'll  
try to get to the Vampire before it can really hurt you."  
  
She gave Xander a bewildered look of confusion, he acted like this  
was just another night to him and the fact that there were almost a  
dozen Vampires trying to kill them was the usual. She watched in  
confusion as Xander and the Librarian, Mr. Giles, move into the fray  
each killing a Vampire before they got ten feet from where she was.  
Turning her head she watched Willow thrust out with another stake at  
a different Vampire than had originally attacked them, she quickly  
reasoned that it was one of the three that they had come to destroy  
it the first place.  
  
Having her attention turned away made her miss the one who came up  
on her, "Oh look, my first dinner. . Cordelia Chase."  
  
Spinning forwards Cordelia looked in to eyes of Evan Riles, the  
captain of the school's chess team, someone well beneath her social  
tolerance. Giving the boy a disgusted look she pushed her hand out  
like she had watched Willow do, "I don't think so."  
  
Evan Riles looked down in shock at the stake in his chest and looked  
back up just as his body turned to dust and blow away, "Bitc. ."  
  
It took only a few minutes to finish the rest of the Vampires,  
afterwards Buffy looked up unhappy and a little confused, "Did Spike  
just leave without even trying to get into the fight?"  
  
"Yes it seems so," Giles replied putting the crossbow he was  
carrying to his shoulder and resetting his glasses before looking  
around confused. "Where's Ranma?"   
  
- - - -   
  
Spike stopped a few blocks away from the cemetery and turned to lean  
against the high wall nest to him. He gave a wide smile as the red  
head came around the corner a moment later, "Well well it seems you  
didn't get enough back there."  
  
"I want to talk," Ranma-chan said calmly as she assumed a casual  
pose herself.  
  
"I'm a dangerous person, I've killed two Slayers already in my time.  
Don't you think it's a bad idea to try to talk to me?" Spike replied  
as he bared his fangs and his darker face.  
  
"You've got the Vampire know as Angel don't you," Ranma-chan stated  
not in a question. "I want him back."  
  
"You do do you? Well I have a real bad need of him, or at least his  
blood," Spike almost laughed at the pure balls of this girl.  
  
"Why do you need his blood?" Ranma-chan looked very interested about  
this and Spike narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"Why should I explain it to you? I should just kill you and be done  
with another Slayer wannabe."  
  
"Cause you know that I'd kill you. I might get a little hurt in the  
process but we both know you'd die," Ranma-chan replied still calm.  
  
"Oh I don't know about that," Spike's smile dropped at the  
statement. "Why do you want to know?"  
  
"I might be able to help you make your girlfriend get better without  
more people dying," Ranma-chan answered and Spike was a little  
shocked when he realized she was serious.  
  
"How could you help? You some kinda bleeding witch or something?"  
Spike wasn't happy about even considering using the girl's help but  
he was willing to do just about anything to cure Dru.  
  
"I've got a strong connection to magic," Ranma-chan replied as she  
walked past him after a few feet she turned and gave him a  
questioning look. "Well? Are we going or not?"  
  
Spike looked shocked at the girl again for a moment then it turned  
to a large smile as he moved up beside the red head and both started  
to walk forward, "You're really sure of yourself and willing to go  
half cocked into the bleeding lion's den just to save the life of a  
Vampire."  
  
"Any life I can," Ranma-chan replied coldly.  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's notes: There is number eight. . I know people are out of  
character so no flaming about that. Ryouga finally deciding on Akari  
isn't a big leap and most of his bigger hatred of Ranma sprung from  
the having real feelings for Akane ( the curse is just something he  
has to deal with ). As for the end with Spike, Ranma doesn't want to  
kill and in that he will find any solution to do what he has to.  
  
Next: (should I really do these bits) Ranma and Angel meet, and the  
Scoobies find Spike and Drusilla. 


	9. Help

Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 1  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 9  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first  
published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by  
Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy  
the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what  
ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth  
Century Fox, Paramount or any others that pick it up as it goes  
along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off  
them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please  
don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. .  
*Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other  
people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
- Help -  
  
Spike gave the red haired girl an odd look as they neared the old  
church, "So. . you're gonna to help me and Dru as long as we leave  
Sunnydale after?"  
  
"Without killing anyone on the way out," Ranma-chan reminded in a  
very serious tone.  
  
"A 'Slayer' who doesn't like the kill. . how bleeding novel," Spike  
smirked as he sized up the girl again, she was a skilled fighter from  
what he had seen earlier but it didn't scare him it excited him in  
ways he hadn't felt in years. "So how'd you figure I had Angel?"  
  
"He went looking for you and hasn't been seen since," Ranma-chan  
replied ignoring Spike's first comment. "Either you killed him or  
caught him. If you had killed him you would have been bragging to  
Buffy about it when you had the chance."  
  
"Oh, know me that well huh?" Spike joked slightly. "But why would I  
keep him alive?"  
  
"You need his blood to cure your girlfriend," Ranma-chan stated  
still sounding emotionless and serious as before.  
  
"How. . how did you figure that one out? We only realized that out a  
little while ago," Spike asked in shock, the girl was obviously more  
than he was thinking.  
  
"A friend of mine told me that the most powerful spells require  
blood to make complete. A vampire with a full soul would have a lot  
power in his blood," Ranma-chan explained as she kept walking, she  
could see the church up ahead and knew that it was the destination  
now.  
  
"Blood is power, blood is what makes you alive, blood is the most  
powerful component to any ritual. And the fact that he is Dru's sire  
just makes that blood more powerful in this ritual," Spike smiled a  
happy but evil smile. "So how do you plan to help? Keeping the Slayer  
off our back until we're done?"  
  
"My blood's more powerful," Ranma-chan stated still without emotion  
causing Spike's eyes to go wide at the realization of what this girl  
was offering.  
  
"Have you already tired of your life so fast to be willing to give  
it up for some beast pretending to be human? Don't let the having a  
soul business fool you, having a bleeding soul doesn't make you a  
good and decent person," Spike laughed out even though he was truly  
not finding this funny.  
  
"You won't have to use much of my blood," Ranma-chan replied still  
calm. "I have magic following through my veins from some from a curse  
that is almost as ancient as magic itself and as I'm locked in my  
cursed form right now it is following at it's most potent."  
  
"Power from an ancient curse almost as old as magic itself? Locked  
in your cursed form? You almost sound like a Jusenkyo victim," Spike  
said off handed with a joking smile as he gave the girl another odd  
look then dropped his smile as he saw the girl give him a small nod.  
"Bloody hell, what were you before?"  
  
"A guy," Ranma-chan said sadly then turned her gaze hard. "And I  
will be again."  
  
- - - -  
  
"We have to go save her!" Buffy looked at the others almost as  
worried as Willow about Ranma-chan's disappearance at the same time  
as Spike's.  
  
"Don't worry about Ranma he can take care of him. . herself," Ryouga  
said trying to look unworried but concern was showing around the  
edges.   
  
"But she is with Spike! He keeps bragging about killing two Slayers  
already!" Willow said in near panic.  
  
"Actually he's only really brought it up a couple of times. . but  
yes you should try to find her quickly," Giles started to correct  
then changed his mind as he noticed the look he was getting from  
everyone else.  
  
"Okay but we still don't have any idea of where Spike is hiding,"  
Xander added the obvious flaw to the plan as seemed to his job of  
late.  
  
"Oh! Oh! I could try a little seeking spell I was reading the other  
day!" Willow called out suddenly happy about having a chance to save  
Ranma.  
  
"That would be nice and all but we don't have time to gather ritual  
components at the moment," Giles replied as he tried to think about  
what to do.  
  
"No no the spell isn't a complicated one, it only needs a little bit  
of power and a strong connection to the target that you want to be  
find," Willow explained still happy.  
  
"Good, we can use Ryouga to find Ranma, they seem to be pretty  
strongly connected," Buffy replied as she strode into group  
discussing the spell and gave Ryouga a smile.  
  
"I think his misdirection curse might mess up the magic," Giles  
corrected calmly.  
  
"I've got a pretty strong connection to Ranma myself, I could use  
that," Willow added with a small blush.  
  
"Um, yes, well I guess it is worth a try," Giles finally conceded.  
  
Willow took a moment to clear herself as the books she had been  
reading suggested and then focused all the energies she could on the  
image and idea of finding Ranma, but the magic seemed not to want to  
come until she remembered that Ranma was currently a girl and changed  
the image.   
  
Before the red haired girl a ball of icy blue light sprung to life  
and everyone was surprised at it but realized they really didn't have  
time as the ball started to move at what could be called a brisk walk  
away from the group. Cordelia grabbed Ryouga's arm before he could  
walk the other way as everyone started to follow the ball hoping that  
it was going where they wanted.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan looked around the high arched center room as they walked  
through the old church, it looked old but very elegant even though it  
showed signs of disuse over the years. They came up to desk with a  
balding man looking over papers and a tall woman elegantly dressed  
sitting in a high backed chair nearby.  
  
"Scribe, I have a possible change in our ritual," Spike said as he  
gave a the red haired Asian a small nod indicating her to the man. "I  
want you to find out if it's possible, and make quick about it as we  
are almost out of time!"  
  
"Spikey. .Spikey you have brought the Dragon home with you,"  
Drusilla said in a daze not really looking at either of them.  
  
Ranma-chan looked at Spike curiously but he gave her a hard look  
back before responding to the woman, " She's come to help us Dru, not  
to kill us."  
  
"She's offered a portion of her life to save mine? She'll grant me  
the power of the Dragons with nothing offered in return?" Drusilla  
asked looking confused.  
  
"Oh I want something. I want you and Spike to leave Sunnydale after,  
without killing anyone as you leave. . including the Vampire know as  
Angel," Ranma-chan replied firmly but with her cocky smile that she  
used to mask any doubt she normally felt.  
  
"You want me to give up my puppy? But why would I want to give you  
my puppy?" Drusilla asked with a huge smile but still in a daze as  
she motioned towards the cage off and to the back of the chairs.  
Inside the cages as a strong looking man in a straightjacket and  
collar looking very battered and bruised barely taking notice of his  
surroundings anymore.  
  
"Dru have you been kicking the puppy again?" Spike asked sounding  
aspirated but the big smile on his face belayed that. "I keep telling  
you that we needed him mostly intact for the ritual."  
  
"But it was so much fun!" Dru pouted with a sniff then turn it into  
a equally big smile. "Though I guess it wasn't so much fun for Poppa."  
  
"By your own words you're getting the power of a Dragon. . whatever  
that means, and otherwise I just kill all three of you," Ranma-chan  
interrupted not liking what she was hearing.  
  
"Don't worry once the Scribe has confirmed if your blood will do  
we'll do the ceremony and let you and Angel go," Spike tried to calm  
the girl as the balding man made a nick of her finger to get a blood  
sample. "In the mean time why don't you at least meet the 'man'  
you're trying to save."  
  
Ranma-chan moved away from the trio and walked over to the cage, as  
she got closer the man inside started to respond to the new presence,  
"Didn't you get enough fun the last time?"  
  
"Wrong person," Ranma-chan replied calmly as she sat down next to  
the cage. "I'm sorta here to help get you out of this."  
  
"Actually I heard," Angel said quietly opening one swelled eye more  
then it looked like it should be able to. "If I act anymore conscious  
Dru gets playful."  
  
"I see," Ranma looked over at the others noticing that they weren't  
paying them any attention.  
  
"Buffy's been talking a lot about you. You seem to be giving her a  
problem with you ideas about what a soul means," Angel almost laughed  
but the smile alone hurt too much.  
  
"She talks a lot about you too," Ranma-chan gave him a look that  
made him want to squirm if he could. "She right about you having a  
full soul unlike the fraction that the other Vampires have, it still  
doesn't mean you're a good guy."  
  
"It's what a person does in his life that makes one good or not,"  
Angel agreed. "I've tried my best to do good as of late."  
  
"And before that you were the terror of our kind, your killing  
sprees made other Vampires envious," Spike added a large nasty smile  
as he came over to the pair. "And you created two Vampires of greater  
evil in me and Dru, you should be a proud parent."  
  
"Figured you were listening in," Ranma-chan said as she slow stood  
up and crossed her arms. "I gave you my word of honour I'd help you,  
and honour is VERY important to me."  
  
"The Scribe says that the blood is incredible in it's magical power,  
he even thinks that you might actually be the Slayer but the power  
from the curse magic is clouding any real readings of that," Spike  
stated as he made a sweeping bowing motion towards the outer area  
again. "We need to get started as soon as possible."  
  
Ranma-chan walked forward and looked at the post in the center of  
the walk area she noticed earlier. It had running groves all along it  
and she realized it was to drain blood, "This what you need me on?"  
  
"Yes yes, that would be right," the Scribe replied as he started to  
help the girl onto the post and cuffed her into place.   
  
"Don't worry, we don't need much of your blood for this. . it's the  
most. . amazing I've ever seen," the man nearly drooled but stopped  
himself quickly.  
  
- - - -  
  
Buffy and the others looked at the old church as the blue ball of  
light moved towards the building slowly, "Figures, old and falling  
down."  
  
"I don't know, it looks kinda romantic to me," Willow said giving  
the ball a mental order to disperse as it reached the door as to not  
warn those inside they were there.  
  
"Yeah, if your idea of romantic includes worrying that the roof  
might cave in on you at any moment," Xander replied lifting an  
eyebrow at the girl.  
  
"Boys have no idea of romance," Cordelia said to Willow who nodded  
back.  
  
"I'm with Xander on this one, that place is a deathtrap. . in more  
ways than one," Buffy replied as she started to think about what to  
do with those inside.  
  
"This is getting us no where, we need a plan to get everyone out  
safely," Giles scolded the teens slightly.  
  
"I've got a plan, I'll go in and kick them around a bit as you guys  
go get anyone who needs help," Buffy stated out of annoyance as any  
other plan she could think of wasn't much different than this. She  
started towards the building before the others could argue with her.  
  
"She's right, but she isn't going in alone," Ryouga added as he  
pulled his arm away from Cordelia and quickly caught up with the  
blonde girl.  
  
As they reached the door both noticed that it was a lot more solid  
than it looked. Buffy put a hand to it and gave it a push, "Locked  
and solid. . we'll have to find another way in."  
  
Ryouga gave the girl a fang filled grin as he motioned her out of  
the way slightly. Gazing at the door for a moment he made his  
decision fairly quickly and pulled back his hand with the index  
finger pointing out, "Bakusai Tenketsu!"  
  
Buffy watched as the door first started to buckle then explode all  
around them, she had to cover her face with her arm and lean away to  
avoid getting any cuts on her face from the wood fragments flying  
everywhere. As the dust settled she looked at the empty door frame  
and then at Ryouga, "Wow."  
  
Spike looked up from his position near the Scribe's casting of the  
necessary spells to make what he wanted to finally happen, he  
narrowed his eyes the two at the now missing door, "Bloody hell!"  
  
Both Buffy and Ryouga found Ranma-chan chained to the post at the  
same time just before Spike landed in front of them from leaping over  
a few pews. Reacting first Buffy threw a punch at the dye-blonde  
Vampire could make an annoying comment causing him to fly backwards a  
short distance.  
  
Ryouga ignored this as he ran towards the girl in light bondage but  
his path was quickly blocked by a tall woman wearing very odd  
clothing. He tried to move around her but a small push from her sent  
him flying back towards the door and slamming into the nearby wall  
causing the whole building to shake and dust to fall from the ceiling.  
  
"Looky looky a wild Boar has entered our nights too," Drusilla said  
as she moved towards the boy swaying in weird and sexual ways. "But  
you have come to hurt not to help and I can't let you stop this."  
  
"I don't think that's going to be your choice," Buffy stated as she  
popped up behind Drusilla and did an odd shoulder toss to send  
Drusilla over the ornate chairs and to land on something metal. "What  
was that?"  
  
Xander, Giles, Willow and Cordelia moved along the wall towards the  
back where if anyone was being held that would be where it would be.  
They paused only long enough to watch first Ryouga be thrown against  
a wall then Drusilla go flying into the area they were headed to.  
Moving more quickly at the sound of a small argument in that area  
they came upon Drusilla dusting herself off as she was yelling  
obscenities at a very beat up man in a metal cage just before she  
headed back off into the other room opposite of where they had come  
in.  
  
"Guys, over here!" Angel called out when he spotted the four others  
bringing all over to him. "I need to get out of this so they don't  
finish that damn spell."  
  
"Stopping the spell would be good but what is Ranma doing on that  
post?" Giles asked as he and Xander started to work on the chain and  
lock.  
  
"She was trying to save me by offering herself in my place. She's  
got more powerful blood than I do and they came to some kind of  
agreement about Spike and Drusilla leaving peacefully after the  
ritual is over," Angel explained quickly as the cage started to open.  
  
"Will they hold to that agreement?" Giles asked as they finally  
broke the lock.  
  
"Spike might, but Drusilla won't when she gets her head straight.  
Dru will just drain the girl dry and continue killing," Angel replied  
as Willow helped him out of the straightjacket.  
  
"Then they have to be stopped," Giles said and turned towards the  
room and was about to head into the area when Angel stopped him.  
  
"I'll deal with this," Angel smiled weakly and move forward quickly.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan was concentrating on the spell as the smoke at the  
beginning was causing her mind to wander a little too much for her  
liking. She really didn't notice the commotion around her until she  
watched Drusilla go flying over the chairs. What came first to her  
mind was that Drusilla was supposed to be sitting in the chair for  
the ritual to be directed towards her. Turning her head slightly she  
finally noticed Ryouga and Buffy trying to trade blows with the  
Vampire she remembered was named Spike. None of the three were making  
much connection with the others, and when they did someone would go  
flying into a wall or over the pews before getting up and moving back  
into the fight. She had to admire that Spike was a better fighter  
than she expected as although he was more bruised he was still  
holding his own against both Buffy and Ryouga.  
  
Shaking her head she willed up as much Ki as she could to clear her  
mind then became aware of Drusilla storming out from where Angel was  
swearing in several languages that Ranma-chan knew all to well now.  
She looked over at the Vampire woman and gave her a harsh glare,  
"Hey! If you want this spell to work you have to be in that chair  
right?"  
  
Drusilla stopped and turned her head towards the girl then gave  
Ranma-chan a sweet smile, "Oh yes I forgot, thank you for reminding  
me."  
  
"Sure whatever, I just don't want my blood going to waste here,"  
Ranma-chan replied in an acidic tone then looked at the Scribe.  
"Well?"  
  
"Oh right," the Scribe started the spell again immediately only to  
be stopped by being punched by Angel.  
  
"Oh great more interruptions," Ranma-chan rolled her eyes the heavens.  
  
"Just saving your life," Angel replied with a cocky smile.  
  
"And here I was think I was doing that for you," Ranma-chan said  
sarcastically.  
  
"Oh look, puppy's come to play," Drusilla stated as she slow rose  
from her chair again.  
  
"Spike might honour your agreement but Drusilla will just kill you  
while you're weak from blood loss," Angel explained as he move  
towards the woman.  
  
"Great, so much for a peaceful solution," Ranma-chan said mostly to  
herself then flexed her wrists and legs causing all four metal cuffs  
to break away easily. She beat Angel to Drusilla in a blur of speed  
and kicked her towards the wall causing another shake to the building  
and more dust from the ceiling.  
  
"The building isn't going to hold!" Giles called out as he and the  
others ran past Angel and Ranma-chan to try to get out of the way.  
  
Angel and Ranma-chan looked at each other then at the pillars around  
the room and saw the heavy cracking then they shrugged at each other  
and ran towards their two friends. Angel gabbed Buffy and Ranma-chan  
grabbed Ryouga and bolted out of the building to stop just past the  
doors.  
  
"Hey! Is this how much honour means to you? At the first sign of  
trouble you bleeding say bugger it and head for the hills?" Spike  
shout at Ranma-chan as he stood looking very angry.  
  
"According to him your girlfriend wouldn't stick to the deal we  
made," Ranma-chan called back indicating Angel.  
  
"Oh and you're just going to believe him like that?" Spike  
countered. "He use to be a lot more evil than Drusilla ever was!"  
  
"Sorry but yeah I believe him. And I'm sorry about this too," Ranma-  
chan replied as she suddenly started to glow. Pointing a hand out she  
screamed, "Moko Takabisha!"  
  
A small ball of energy shot from her out stretched hand and impacted  
into one of the stronger pillars causing it to explode and the other  
pillars to finally collapse and the ceiling to fall. The last thing  
anyone saw of the room was Spike looking up in fear and trying to  
protect himself with his hands.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Are you a total idiot!" Giles yelled at the red haired girl in  
front of him and his look was mirrored by the girl's own watcher.  
"Drusilla back to her full mental capacity would cause so much more  
deaths in this world then the way she is now!"  
  
"I was trying to solve things without bloodshed. . .," Ranma-chan  
tried to replied but was cut off.  
  
"WITH YOUR OWN!?!" Miyabi screamed in anger then turned to face away  
from the girl. "I know you hate being the Slayer. . but I never  
expected you hated it so much to try killing yourself."  
  
"I wasn't trying to kill myself!" Ranma-chan yelled back angry  
herself now. "Yes, I hate being the Slayer! I hate killing anything,  
be it Kami, Vampire, or Demon! But my duty is to protect people and  
the deal I had with Spike would have them out of Sunnydale  
completely! A lot of people would be saved by that!"  
  
"And you believed them!?!" Miyabi was still knew to watching a  
Slayer but she expected a little more discipline and obedience from  
her charge. . or at least a smarter than the one this one was showing.  
  
"Even Angel says that Spike would have honoured the deal, all he had  
to do was convince Drusilla afterwards to uphold it too," Ranma-chan  
argued then turned to Cologne. "Aren't you going to start calling me  
an idiot too?"  
  
"Child, I am not the Tendo girl. I see this as simply a learning  
experience and you'll know better next time," Cologne replied with a  
small smile. "As for you others don't you have something to tell  
Ranma, Miyabi?"  
  
"What? Oh right. . I got the 'The Callings of Lionna' from the  
student while you were out," Miyabi said in disgust pointing at the  
table nearby.   
  
Before anyone could say anything else Ranma-chan was at the table  
and the book was open as she was reading page after page looking for  
what she needed. After about a minute she held up the book with a  
section open, "This one! This is the balancing spell! Do it know!"  
  
Miyabi crossed her arms and gave the girl a raised eyebrow look of  
disdain, "My my you're pushy for a girl getting scolded. I don't I  
will at the moment, maybe a little time longer stuck in your proper  
Slayer form will teach you to think about your duties more."  
  
The temperature in the room dropped suddenly to the point that all  
three adults could see their breath as Ranma-chan gave the woman a  
nasty glare before turning to Cologne, "You do the casting then."  
  
"I wish I could Child, but my talents lay in the more physical magic  
like potions as I have said before," Cologne replied with a sad smile  
of apology.  
  
Ranma-chan turned to Giles but he was ready for that, "I'm sorry  
Ranma but I can't go against the wishes of your Watcher. . as I would  
expect the same from her in return."  
  
Ranma-chan looked at the people before her and turned very angry and  
the room returned to normal as she couldn't hold the 'soul of ice'  
any longer, thinking for a moment she turned and headed for the door,  
"Fine! I'll to someone who will cast it!"  
  
Ranma-chan stopped before getting to the door and turned once more  
towards the three and looked directly at Miyabi, "You are no longer  
my Watcher as of right now! I want nothing to do with you or your  
stupid ideas of how I should act! Ever since I've met you I've  
nothing but problems!"  
  
Cologne watched the girl walk out the door and slam it closed almost  
destroying it in the process then turn towards Giles, "Don't worry  
she doesn't hold it against us or she would have included us in that  
last statement."  
  
"She can't be allowed to run around on her own!" Miyabi shouted in  
anger then looked the other two and lifted an eyebrow in confusion.  
"What?"  
  
"Ranma can take care of herself very easily. . And I agree with her  
that she should have no more contact with you as refusing to help her  
become whole again was very wrong," Cologne stated in annoyance then  
started to hop towards her room. "I will be packing as I also no  
longer wish to be here either."  
  
"If she won't listen to me then she have to listen to the Council!"  
Miyabi threatened loudly in vain.   
  
"Oh yes I'm very sure the Council will put the fear of god into  
her," Giles replied sarcastically as he head towards where Cologne  
had gone.  
  
Miyabi looked pleased that Giles had agreed with her until it  
registered that he was being sarcastic then gave his retreating form  
a glare as she gaped her mouth, the words weren't coming to respond.  
  
- - - -  
  
Willow looked up from her bed as her mother opened her door  
slightly, "Yes Mom?"  
  
"Willow, you have a visitor downstairs," her Mother said looking  
very concerned about the person in question.  
  
Willow shrugged and followed her Mother down the stairs then saw  
Ranma-chan standing near the entrance looking nervous and unhappy,  
"Hi Ranma, what's goin. . what's wrong?"  
  
"I had a bad fight with the woman I live with and I sorta told her I  
was leaving," Ranma-chan replied as she looked anywhere but at  
Willow, she was embarrassed at the fact she was on the verge of  
tears. "I was wondering. . ."  
  
"Mom? Can Ranma stay for a couple of days?" Willow called out of the  
room before Ranma-chan could finish her question.  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg had been listening to the girl trying to explain what  
had happen from the other room and it left her with a very bad  
picture. The girl was a red haired Asian, which either had to be a  
very good dye good or mixed heritage, and looked about the same age  
as her daughter. None of that bothered her, what did though was the  
fact it sounded like the girl had just had a fight with the lover and  
that this person was a woman. Oh she was a modern person of reason. .  
but she also remembered that Willow had been going on and on in a  
daze for the past few days about some person named Ranma and now here  
was a person by that name that was a girl. . . she didn't like this  
as it could only mean one of her fears was coming true.  
  
Realizing she had been asked a question about the girl staying with  
them a few days caught her off guard, even though she should have  
seen coming after thinking about it. She had two choices. . One was  
to say no and alienate her daughter, in a way that said I caught onto  
you're little secret. . and two was to say yes and have to keep a  
close watch on the two.  
  
"Of course dear. . Do you have any idea for how long?" Mrs.  
Rosenberg called back a few moments later.  
  
Willow turned and looked questioning at the other girl. Ranma-chan  
shrugged slightly, "Cologne will probably find a new place within the  
week. . at least she won't. . ."  
  
Willow looked pained as she could she how much Ranma-chan was trying  
not to cry then called back to her Mother, "Probably only for about a  
week. . is that okay?"  
  
"Yes dear," Mrs. Rosenberg replied and then swore lightly to  
herself, a week was a long time to keep watch of those two.  
  
Willow smiled and grabbed Ranma-chan's hand, "Come on you can stay  
in my room."  
  
Ranma-chan looked very uncomfortable about the idea but she had  
realized before coming here that this would be Willow's reaction,  
even without the attraction spell Willow seemed very hung up on him.  
. and her. Following Willow she made the book appear in her hands, "I  
got the book I need to correct my curse. . but I can't cast it. . ."  
  
Willow smiled at the other girl and took the book from her hands,  
"Don't worry I'm getting pretty good with magic so we'll get this  
done quickly."  
  
Ranma-chan walked into Willow's room feeling oddly better, for one  
the first times in her life that she needed help someone offered to  
help without asking for something in return.  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's Notes: Nine is in the can. Finalizing the storyline with  
Spike and Dru. . but remember people they aren't gone yet. This was  
done in one of the fast paces I've tried to start and finish a piece  
( Three hours with interruptions ) and it probably shows around the  
edges. . .  
Hope you enjoy.  
  
Next: The tenth and final chapter of Book One. . . Willow helps  
balance Ranma's curse out with predictable and unpredictable results.  
Ryouga tries to get his misdirection curse removed. And Cordelia gets  
a very bad idea.  
  
Then - Book 2: DARK LOVE - 


	10. Castings

A Ranma ½ Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Ranma ½ / BTVS  
  
Ranma The Vampire Slayer  
  
Book 1  
  
Changes in the World  
  
By Felix Webster (Felix Warstar)  
  
Chapter 10  
  
- - - -  
  
Disclaimers  
  
All original Ranma ½ Characters Copyright Rumiko Takahashi (first  
published by Shogakugan in Japan and brought over to North America by  
Viz Communications), and are used without permission.  
  
Buffy, Giles, and the other characters that have appeared on 'Buffy  
the Vampire Slayer' belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and what  
ever company they are working at, be it Warner Bros., Twentieth  
Century Fox, Paramount or any others that pick it up as it goes  
along. They are used with out permission and I'm making NO money off  
them and no one else except those listed above should either. Please  
don't sue me cause I have no money.  
  
Any character I create are mine, ALL MINE! Wahahahahahahaha. .  
*Cough couch* oops sorry. They are always ready to jump into other  
people's stories just let me know.  
  
- - - -  
  
- Castings -  
  
Willow woke up to a sound of whimpering coming from the floor area  
just out of her sight from the edge of her bed. Looking over to see  
what was wrong she was pained to realize it was coming from the red  
haired girl she was coming to really lo. .like a lot. She moved over  
and laid down next to the part time girl and wrapped her arms around  
her in comfort. Thankfully it seemed to help as Ranma-chan settled  
down quickly and both went back to sleep with Willow spooning her  
friend trying to be as totally encompassing as she could possibly be.  
  
- - - -  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg knocked on her daughter's door twice before she  
decided the girls had more then enough time to respond. Opening the  
door quietly she caught sight of both girls cuddled on the floor  
where the girl, Ranma, was sleeping. They seemed so wrapped up  
together that she started to doubt she could tell where one started  
and the other ended. For a brief moment she smiled at the cuteness of  
the scene and though about getting a camera, then she remembered what  
the Asian girl was and the smile went away replaced by a frown as she  
went for the camera to get a picture to confront her daughter with.  
  
A few flashes later caused Ranma-chan to open her eyes wearily,  
"Nabiki! I told you to stop taking pictures of me when I'm sleeping.  
. I don't care how much Kuno pays for them."  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg lifted an eyebrow in mild confusion as it sounded as  
if the girl was use to being woken by flash photography, and having  
those pictures sold to others. . she sounded like she had been  
exploited a lot at her last home.  
  
Ranma-chan rolled slightly trying to wake herself up more when she  
felt the body beside her. Giving a gentle push she tried to remove  
the encircled arms from herself still not cognitive enough to  
remember where she was, "Xian Pu! Get offa me! I told you I wasn't  
like that!"  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg's mouth dropped and her eyes widened almost  
comically. She didn't know if 'Shampoo' was a cute name for Willow or  
not but it sounded very much like her daughter was the one forcing  
herself on this poor girl. Having very mixed feelings about this she  
decided to break this up at the current moment, "Good morning Girls."  
  
Willow opened her eyes slowly then more quickly as she realized she  
was being gently pushed away, and that her Mother was standing in the  
doorway. Sitting up quickly she pulled the covers up to her chest in  
embarrassment even though she was still wearing the PJ's from last  
night, "MOM!?! Can't I get some privacy!?!"  
  
"Willow. . we need to talk. Downstairs," Mrs. Rosenberg simply said  
in a cold tone as she turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Ranma-chan had opened her eyes almost as soon as Willow had but she  
stayed in her sleeping position until the woman left then she raised  
herself up on an elbow and looked at Willow, "I think I've gotten you  
into trouble. . ."  
  
"I think this was going to happen sooner or later," Willow replied  
with a weak smile as she leaned down and kissed Ranma-chan on the tip  
of her nose.  
  
Ranma-chan blushed to a colour very close to her hair then realized  
Willow was right beside her under the blankets she was given, "Um. .  
Willow? What are you doing down here?"  
  
Willow smiled a bit more as she got up to sitting on the edge of her  
bed, "You were having a nightmare. . and I thought if I comforted you  
it would make it stop. . ."  
  
Ranma-chan looked mildly shocked at the girl for a only a moment  
then she remembered that she had been starting to have a nightmare  
during the night but it had suddenly ended as a feeling of warmth  
came over her. It had been a nightmare she had a few times before and  
she wasn't surprised that it would come back now. She always feared  
the loss of her manhood and how no one would want her if it happened  
permanently. . last night she suddenly felt as if that wasn't going  
to be a problem anymore. Looking up into the eyes of the other red  
haired girl she smiled softly, "Thanks, it work."  
  
"Good," Willow replied as she got up and headed for the door to go  
downstairs. "Now I'd better find out what the parental unit wants to  
'discuss' before things get worse."  
  
- - - -  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg looked across the table at her daughter not knowing  
how she felt at the moment as things were too confusing, "You were  
just trying to comfort Ranma because she was having a nightmare?"  
  
"Yes Mom, Ranma has had a very rough life and it has led to her  
having some very bad nightmares," Willow replied still looking nervous.  
  
"A rough life? Would this include being. . . exploited in some way?"  
Willow's Mother looked very cross but it didn't seem directed at  
Willow or Ranma-chan.  
  
"I think Ranma said something about one of the girls she lived with  
always taking pictures of her and the girl's younger sister to sell  
to someone Ranma didn't like much. . . but I wasn't really listening  
at the time," Willow blushed slightly as she remembered the little  
daze Ranma-chan had put her in when they first met.  
  
"I see," Mrs. Rosenberg said saddened at the conformation of what  
she assumed from the girl's words earlier. Giving her daughter a  
serious look she resolved herself to ask what she didn't really want  
to know, "Willow. . what is Ranma to you?. . I mean what is your  
relationship?"  
  
"Mom!?" Willow looked up in shock then realized that her Mother  
seemed nervous and not angry. "I. . I really don't know. . . I like  
Ranma. . a lot, but I. . I don't know."  
  
"Yes you do," Mrs. Rosenberg replied with a sigh as a weak sad smile  
came to her face. "I can see it in you eyes just thinking of her. I  
know it isn't the stone age anymore but this will still cause you two  
a lot of problems out there. . Um, is she?. . "  
  
"Is she what? Into girls? It isn't like that with Ranma! Really!"  
Willow's eyes bugged out as she caught the gist of her Mother's  
little rambling. "She. . she was raised as a boy and has only been a  
girl for about a year or so."  
  
"Raised as a boy? Who would do that to a child?" Mrs. Rosenberg once  
again didn't like the sounds of things.  
  
"Um. . her Father did. He had this big thing about Ranma being a  
'man among men'," Willow explained although the comment confused her  
slightly.  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg blinked in disbelief at her daughter several times  
before replying, "Not only did the man raise his daughter as a boy,  
but. . but he raised the girl to be a gay boy!?!"  
  
"What!?!" Willow exclaimed in shock then warded off her Mother. "NO,  
no! He raised Ranma to be a strong macho man not. . . gay!"  
  
"Sorry, I misunderstood," Mrs. Rosenberg said in embarrassment.  
"Must not mean the same to the Chinese."  
  
"Japanese Mother," Willow corrected rolling her eyes at the woman.  
"I already told you that Ranma was Japanese."  
  
"Oh, I forgot," Mrs. Rosenberg waved off the correction as if that  
didn't matter. "But what do you plan to do with her?"  
  
"Wha. .!?! I. . don't know! We haven't discussed. . ." Willow  
started to reply in a panic.  
  
"I meant what were the two of you planning to do about Ranma's  
living situation after she leaves here?" Mrs. Rosenberg rolled her  
own eyes at her daughter's seemingly perverted mind. "I'm not going  
to stop this. . relationship as it really isn't any of my business,  
no matter how unhappy it makes me, but I can not have it going on in  
this house. I'll have to ask Ranma to leave soon."  
  
"I should be able to deal with that," an old scratchy voice replied  
from the entrance leading into the dinning room.  
  
"Who. . Who are you!?! And how did you get in here!?!" Mrs.  
Rosenberg exclaimed in shock as she turned to see a gnarled old  
*thing* sitting on a gnarled old staff.  
  
"Cologne!" Willow called out happy about seeing the ancient woman.  
"I thought you threw Ranma out?"  
  
"No Child, that overstuffed excuse of a Watcher pushed Ranma out  
because she was not 'following orders'. I may not have said anything  
at the time but I would never abandon Ranma like that," Cologne  
explained as she made her way to the table.  
  
"Willow, you know this. . this. ." Mrs. Rosenberg started to ask.  
  
"Very old woman with a lot of power who is getting very tired about  
being called a demon, creature, or ghoul," Cologne interrupted with a  
nasty glare that promised great pain.  
  
". . very old woman?" Mrs. Rosenberg finished taking the oh so  
subtle hint.  
  
"She's a friend of Ranma's," Willow explained with a smirk.  
  
"I see," Mrs. Rosenberg said quietly then turned to Cologne. "Have  
you found a new home so soon?"  
  
"This is Sunnydale, finding a house up for market cheaply is hardly  
a challenge," Cologne rolled her eyes. "I mean no one in their right  
mind would actually move here."  
  
Mrs. Rosenberg looked confused between the old woman and her  
daughter, who was trying not to laugh, "I agree the market is a  
little odd here but it's a nice place to raise a child."  
  
"I see, your Mother is one of the blinded," Cologne said to Willow  
making it sound very unfortunate. "She has no touch of magic at all."  
  
"Now about Ranma. . where is she?" Cologne asked before the woman  
could make a comment about magic and about being blinded.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma-chan was still drying her hair when Willow and Cologne came  
into Willow's room, "How'd the talk with your Mother go?"  
  
"Mom is going to allow us to try a relationship. . but you can't  
stay here because of it," Willow replied still confused by her  
Mother's reaction.  
  
"But don't worry Child, I have found us a new place already. Gather  
up your stuff and we will go there immediately," Cologne added with a  
small smile as she indicated she meant all of them.  
  
"What about Miyabi? Is she going to cause us problems?" Ranma-chan  
asked as she started packing.  
  
"She has gone to England on the first flight she could get," Cologne  
said unhappy. "We will probably find out the kind of problems she  
brings back soon."  
  
"We could do the spell today," Willow piped up to change the subject.  
  
"Yes, Child, I was planning on that, and on trying the other spell  
that afflicts Ranma's friend Ryoga," Cologne agreed with a smile.  
  
"If we can find him," Ranma-chan said with a smirk.  
  
"Don't worry, he is already at the new house," Cologne continued to  
smile. "With that other girl who seems to be trying to get to know  
him in the old fashion way."  
  
"Old fashion way?" Willow looked confused.  
  
"I thing she means in the biblical way," Ranma-chan explained almost  
giggling. "Ryoga must be shooting buckets of blood right now!"  
  
"Huh?" Willow was confused again.  
  
"She is referring to a Japanese belief that virgin boys tend to get  
huge nosebleeds when girls try to get sexual with them," Cologne  
explained this time. "It's a silly idea. . . but Ryoga does seem  
prone to nosebleeds. ."  
  
- - - -  
  
Cordelia sat back on the sofa with her arms crossed and a pout as of  
so far Ryoga hadn't even responded once to her passes. She had  
started getting more and more blatant but the last just seemed to  
make the boy pass out and a trickle of blood come from his nose. If  
she knew what that meant she would possibly jumping in glee but she  
didn't.  
  
"I don't get it! He seems to like me, he's always so nervous and  
sweet around me since I met him. . . but he just doesn't seem to LIKE  
me," Cordelia complained to the blonde beside her.  
  
"Maybe he's just shy," Buffy replied as she stretched out slightly  
on the huge sofa and yawned, it was too early for her. "You might be  
coming on too hard."  
  
"It's not right! Guys are supposed to drop around me but not like  
that!" Cordelia protested to the ceiling.  
  
Buffy shook her head slightly and closed her eyes, "Why are you so  
hung up on the guy? He's good looking and all but he seems a touch. .  
. I don't know, extreme I guess. Those tapes you showed me of him  
weren't very flattering."  
  
"I. . I don't know why I'm interested really. I've been a fan of his  
and Ranma since I first saw the tapes. . . and now I know that what I  
was watching was real, it's a lot to take in," Cordelia leaned  
forward and looked to the bathroom where the boy in question still  
lay. "I've felt pulled to him since we met, not the same way I did to  
Ranma because of the magic. . . stronger, more. . more real."  
  
"So you have the hots for a guy who can't even find his way out of a  
room with one door," Ranma-chan said with a small laugh as she walked  
into the room with Cologne and Willow. "Don't get me wrong, I like  
the guy and I'm happy he came get a girl like you to want to be with  
him, but he's already got someone in Japan and I don't like to see  
him getting confused again over who to choose again.  
  
"Ranma," Cordelia jumped up happy to see her then realized the red  
haired girl was serious. The smile dropped from her face quickly, "He  
does. . . is it a real relationship or is there a chance?"  
  
"I won't lie to you about this, Ryoga doesn't know if Akari likes  
him for who he is or because of his Jusenkyo curse," Ranma-chan gave  
to girl a steady look and shook her head slightly. "If you truly want  
him tell him that. Don't lead him on, don't let him believe  
friendship is more then it is, and don't break his heart or you will  
have to deal with me."  
  
"I wouldn't do that to him!" Cordelia protested then gave the other  
two girls a outraged look, "What!?!"  
  
"Cordelia, you play with boys like candy, once the flavour is gone  
you go onto the next," Willow replied as she wrapped her arm around  
one of Ranma-chan's and cuddled in close. "Not like the rest of us  
who look for a long term relationship."  
  
"Um. . Willow?" Ranma-chan gave the other red-head a nervous look.  
  
"What?" Willow asked bewildered.  
  
"Too. . too much, too fast," Ranma-chan gave Willow's tight grip a  
glance then gave an apologetic look to the girl.  
  
"Oh. . oops, sorry," Willow let go of the girl slightly disappointed.  
  
"It's not like that with Ryoga!" Cordelia protested again.  
  
"I hope not," Ranma-chan said then looked around. "So where is he  
anyways?"  
  
"He's laying unconscious on the bathroom floor," Buffy said as she  
got off the sofa. "Cordelia decided to play with him a little while  
Cologne was out."  
  
"What did you do child?" Cologne asked as she hoped over to the  
downstairs bathroom and opened the door.  
  
"She offered to. . . what was it again? Oh yeah, she offered to  
'wash his back' since he said he needed a bath," Buffy replied  
looking a little confused, she realized it had to be a sexual  
reference by Ryoga's reaction but it wasn't one she knew.  
  
Ranma-chan slapped her forehead laughing, "Of course he passed out  
from that."  
  
"I'm surprised there's so little blood on the floor," Cologne added  
as she dragged the boy out into the living room.  
  
- - - -  
  
Cologne nodded her head at the designs drawn on the floor of the  
work room, the basement really but it was a solid area to do any  
needed casting, "You three have a deft hand at magical design dears,  
and your voices were very nice to hear."  
  
"Um, Thank you," Willow and Buffy both replied as they looked at  
each other confused at Cologne including Cordelia in that praise.  
  
"Although child I don't think you are destine to cast magic as a  
vocation," Cologne continued patting Cordelia on the shoulder making  
the girl a little more relieved. "Please stand with the lost boy and  
wait for his cue."  
  
"Ranma, you can sit in the middle of the circle and then we'll  
start," the old woman hopped to the far side from Willow and waited.  
"Walk the spiral and then enter the centre."  
  
Ranma-chan stood and walked to the centre circle of the three drawn  
circles by the large spiral that flowed around and through the  
drawing passing the two circles beside the centre, she could feel a  
touch of power the moment she put her foot on the path and it kept  
getting stronger until she had to force herself sit down, "Why is  
already active? I can feel power already."  
  
"We've been casting since the start of this," Cologne indicated the  
large spiral circle and the lesser circles, only the centre one had  
on lines flowing through it as it was the primary focus, "Each word  
of the little song I taught the girls gave the design the power to  
start this."  
  
"Okay so what now?" Ranma-chan asked after nodding in understanding.  
  
"Now? Now we start," Cologne replied as she flipped the page of the  
book she had beside her and threw up her hands to the heavens.  
  
"Oh hear us those who choose the destinies of those below," Cologne  
started.  
  
"Hear us," Willow and Buffy added from their positions making a  
triangle of power with the old woman.  
  
"Through magic there is imbalance and through magic we ask for  
balance."  
  
"Bring us balance."  
  
"Come to your child and grant a blessing to right what is wrong."  
  
"Bless the child," Buffy and Willow forced down giggling as Cologne  
gave then a glare.  
  
"Lionna, god and goddess of the sexes we call you to help your own!"  
Cologne called out loudly causing Willow to look at her funny as the  
old woman had just changed the spell. Cologne glared at he girls  
again as they missed their cue.  
  
"Lionna, we call," Willow caught up with Buffy who was a split  
second faster.  
  
Cologne looked at both Cordelia and Ryoga, who were now standing on  
the edge of the spiral and nodded. Both pricked their fingers and  
threw the light sprinkle of blood onto opposite circles from them  
laying a small path of blood across the spiral and the centre circle.   
  
The centre circle's edges started to glow and then a barrier of blue  
light mixed with flashes of red until Ranma-chan was no longer  
seeable. The outer two circles started to glow and a barrier of blue  
light sprung from one and red from the other, in the centres of each  
a form appeared standing but unconscious to the world. In the blue  
stood Ranma as he should be wearing a blue set of Chinese silks with  
a golden dragon etched flowing up beautify on the fabric, and in the  
red stood Ranma-chan wearing a simular set in red with a silver  
dragon flowing down. . . the only problem was that she wasn't a  
stable image. The female form of Ranma seemed to fluctuate from the  
smaller girl with the large chest the everyone recognized to a taller  
girl, almost as tall as Ranma himself, with a more muscular figure  
and smaller chest.  
  
Everyone gave Cologne a look in confusion who calmly said, "The one  
is what Ranma is, the other is what Ranma would have looked like if  
born a true girl instead cursed to be one."  
  
-  
  
Ranma-chan had closed her eyes at the beginning of the casting but  
something happened and she forced herself to look around. Opening her  
eyes she found herself standing in a field of white energy. . . but  
she wasn't alone. Standing beside her was herself as she should be  
and then realized he was looking at her the same way, they were both  
Ranma Saotome and both were one in mind if not in body. A second  
presence made them look forward to look at a figure standing there  
smiling at them.  
  
"Welcome son/daughter we are happy you have come to us," the figure  
said in a double voice, the lower toned on calling him son and the  
higher calling her daughter. The figure was an image of confusion as  
it looked to be both sexes but both at the same time and never at the  
same time, all in all it made Ranma not want to look at either too  
long. "We have been waiting for you but you've come for something and  
we will hear it, so speak."  
  
"I want to be a man again," Ranma-chan stated loudly looking angry  
then realized that Ranma-kun never spoke. Turning quickly to look at  
her boy form she gave him a nasty glare, "What's wrong? You don't  
what to fix this?!"  
  
"I ain't said anythin'," Ranma-kun replied calmly as he stood with  
his arms crossed. "I seem ta be male already so I figured ta let you  
do the arguing."  
  
Ranma-chan stepped back a pace and realize two things, one he was  
right and two he was talking like they use to. Spinning to face  
Lionna again she glared, "What's going on? We aren't the same anymore!"  
  
"You are Ranma as you were and always will be," Lionna replied  
without emotion, "And you can not become again what you never were in  
the first place."  
  
"Never were in the first place!?! I was male! I remember being a  
guy! What are you pulling!?!" Ranma-chan screamed in frustration,  
glancing at her male side without turning her face she snarled, "Are  
you going to let her call us a girl?"  
  
Ranma-kun straighten stiffly at the implied insult then got into a  
stance, "Nah, can't let that happen."  
  
"Child, we are not here to fight you," Lionna held up a hand that  
fluctuated slightly from obviously male to female and back again.  
"You have called as you curse is in opposition to the wishes of the  
Powers that Be and you have been suffering from it."  
  
"YES!!!!" Ranma-chan yelled, "And you did this spell to get you to  
balance it out!"  
  
"I can not do what you truly want," Lionna replied in dry tone.  
  
"I don't care about changing into a girl anymore, I just want the  
ability to become the boy I am supposed to be again!" Ranma-chan said  
annoyed.  
  
"We were not talking to you child," the Lionna replied causing Ranma-  
chan to spin again to face her other half.  
  
"Hey, I'm a guy! I can't do anyone any good as a girl!" Ranma-kun  
protested as he stepped back warding off Ranma-chan then a look of  
depression came to his face, "Besides what girl would want us like  
this?"  
  
"Akane just couldn't stand being forced into an arranged marriage  
and the feelings she was having for a 'girl' was driving her nuts as  
she isn't a blasted bisexual, but she was willing to try" Ranma-chan  
replied in anger. "And Willow doesn't seem to mind!"  
  
"We both know why Willow don't mind the curse," Ranma-kun said  
sadly. "We see it in her eyes every time we changed inta a girl."  
  
"She has the same look we change back!" Ranma-chan countered. "She  
wants both of us! And we need a girl who does or we will never find  
any happiness!"  
  
Ranma-chan stopped stalking towards her other half and dropped her  
head in depression, "You idiot! We're here to balance the curse not  
cure it. She can't do that and we both know that. If we don't do this  
you never get to exist again so we have to be in agreement!"  
  
"I know that. But I still want what I want," Ranma-kun replied  
softly. "It's how Pop raised us, no matter how wrong it was it's how  
we see things too often."  
  
Ranma-chan raised her head to look into her counterpart's eyes, "But  
the power of the Slayer balances out the difference we use to have. .  
. we're not weak as a girl anymore."  
  
"We never were, just weaker then when we were as a guy," Ranma-kun  
gave a small smile. "We were still as strong as Xian Pu and Akane as  
a girl but we didn't see it like that."  
  
"When did you start talking properly?" Ranma-chan looked at the boy  
confused.  
  
"When we stopped arguing," Ranma-kun smiled again then looked at  
Lionna. "We want the curse balanced! What has to be done to do this!?"  
  
"The Powers That Be want you as the Slayer but we do not like the  
pain this causes you, son/daughter," Lionna said in hir double voice.  
"We have made a deal that will be acceptable for the time being but  
will ask a boon from you at some time for this."  
  
"If I can fulfill it I will do so," Ranma said agreeing to the terms  
as he had no real choice, something he was use to in his life.  
  
"Then go, son/daughter, and be well child of ours," Lionna said and  
the light became blinding causing Ranma to clench his eyes shut.   
  
-  
  
The lights around Ranma and Ranma-chan got too intense to look at  
and all people looked away before the light finally died. Standing in  
the centre of where the design had been was a very male Ranma  
blinking out the after effects of the blinding light he experienced,  
before he had time to say anything he felt a body wrap around him and  
hug him. Hugging the girl back he softly spoke to her ear, "I'm back  
and things will be better."  
  
- - - -  
  
"I think I want have that spell cast on me too," Ryoga looked  
envious at the soaked but male Ranma. "That last one had ice in it."  
  
"It wouldn't work," Ranma replied as he wrung out his shirt. "And I  
still have the curse. . . it just doesn't have the same activation  
anymore."  
  
"Oh well," Ryoga shrugged and sat down at the kitchen table with the  
others who stayed. "It was a hope, after the other spell failed I  
could hope something went right for me."  
  
"The spell for your misdirection was not a failure. . . at least not  
completely," Cologne said as she sipped the tea in her hands. "You  
will always be able to find those you care about with little effort,  
and the curse's ability to get you to place you should never be able  
to be will get you to those people very quickly."  
  
"His misdirection curse sorta did that before," Ranma said as he sat  
down with the others and accepted Willow's offered hand for comfort.  
  
"Yes but now it will be quicker for him to find them and he as long  
as he stays focussed he won't be suddenly missing," Cologne replied  
as she put her tea down and looked out the large sliding patio doors.  
"It's almost sunset and you two should patrol tonight."  
  
"Giles has a lead on a possible new Vampire trying to organize the  
strays into a fighting force," Buffy said giving Ranma a smile.  
"Maybe we can find him tonight and stop him."  
  
"Or make him realize that Sunnydale just isn't the place for him,"  
Ranma said not smiling, he noticed Cologne's look at him as he said  
it and then added, "But we'll stop him either way."  
  
"So you going back to Japan Ryoga?" Willow asked as she squeezed  
Ranma's hand slightly.  
  
"I should let Akane and Ranma's family know about how things are  
here, they'll be worried," Ryoga replied giving Ranma an even gaze  
before looking at Cordelia. "I also should see Akari too."  
  
- - - -  
  
Ryoga stood on the porch and watched the sun starting to set, his  
pack was sitting beside him and he was more then ready to test this  
change in his oldest curse. He more then anything wanted to see his  
parents again, and if Cologne was right this change in his curse will  
pass into them when he hugged them as the change in magic as that  
powerful.  
  
"So. . um, when are you coming back?" Cordelia asked as she came up  
behind Ryoga, depression haunting her face.  
  
"I'll be back soon. . . I've got a few people I have to find first,"  
Ryoga continued to watch the sun set. "If Ranma needs me he can get a  
hold of me on that small satellite phone Cologne gave me and I'll be  
here."  
  
"What if he isn't the one who needs you?" Cordelia asked nervously  
as she stood next to the boy.  
  
Ryoga turned to look at Cordelia and dropped his head slightly, "If  
I'm needed I will be here, but I can't say what you want. . . not  
yet. I have to talk to Akane and to Akari to see what if anything is  
there for me, then I will be back and can answer what you want to  
know."  
  
"I. . I see," Cordelia said very quietly trying not to start crying.  
  
Before Ryoga could crumble at the sound of depression in the girl's  
response a red-haired girl ran past them followed by a blonde then  
another red-haired girl. Looking at the trio Ryoga had to blink  
several times, "Ranma?"  
  
"Yep, you like?" Ranma-chan replied as she framed her new female  
form, it was the taller athletic one that had been fluctuating over  
the old curse form. Ranma-chan looked happier about it. "Don't look  
like a big breasted bimbo anymore."  
  
"You never looked like a big breasted bimbo. . . unless you were  
putting effort into it," Ryoga chuckled then got curious, "What  
causes the change now?"  
  
"The night," Ranma-chan said with a small smile. "I'm a boy during  
the day and the Slayer at night when the Vampires come out to play."  
  
"It means Ranma can go to school as a boy in the day and patrol as a  
girl at night," Willow explained latching onto Ranma-chan's arm and  
was even happier that the girl didn't flinch this time.  
  
"It has a few drawbacks but I don't have to worry about watching for  
water at inopportune moments anymore," Ranma-chan added and then  
quirked a sad smile. "At least for now. . ."  
  
"So, we should like get a start on finding this guy," Buffy said as  
she tossed Ranma-chan a stake.  
  
"Right," Ranma-chan replied and removed her arm from Willow then  
both turned and started walking towards the closest graveyard.  
  
Ryoga looked at his pack and then at the girls walking away.  
Turning, he smiled at Cordelia in a lopsided way putting a hand  
behind his head, "It's been so long that I don't think a night will  
make a difference, I can head out in the morning."  
  
Both Ryoga and Cordelia quickly caught up with the other girls and  
all of them started talking as they headed for the night of patrolling.  
  
Willow stopped for a moment causing the others to stop too, "What  
about Xander and Giles?"  
  
"Giles said they'd met us there," Buffy smiled as Ranma-chan put and  
arm around Willow's waist and started walking again. "We wouldn't  
leave them out of this."  
  
- - - -  
  
"So Lionna changed her?" an old scratchy voice said from behind  
Cologne causing her to spin to face the intruder.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Cologne demanded in a challenge to the man.  
  
"I never left," Happosai replied as he puffed on his pipe and sat on  
the table cross legged. "I would never leave my precious little  
Ranko, you know that."  
  
"She isn't so little anymore," Cologne gave a crooked smile. "But I  
haven't sensed you around since you messed up that language spell."  
  
"I never mess up anything," Happosai closed his eyes and enjoyed his  
pipe. "And I like my little Ranko growing up into a beautiful woman.  
. . just like you did."  
  
"You have always been an old fool, even when you were young,"  
Cologne sighed then passed him a cup of tea. "What are you planning  
this time?"  
  
"Nothing new, just training," Happosai sipped the tea and smirked.  
"She is the heir to my style after all."  
  
"You mean he is the heir to your style," Cologne corrected the old  
man.  
  
"Not at the moment she isn't, she looked very much like a 'pretty  
lady' when she left," Happosai snickered and winked before standing  
up and hopping to the patio door. "I'll see you around."  
  
Cologne watched her old lover, later an old enemy, leave the house  
and shook her head smiling as he didn't answer her question about how  
he had been around without her noticing, "Ranma, child, that one is  
going to be trouble. . . but then again what else is new."  
  
- - - -   
  
Author's Notes: Chapter 10 done, book one done, and it took way too  
long to do this one. First the use of the word 'hir' isn't a spelling  
error, it refers to a person who is both male and female as does  
's/he'.  
  
Ranma isn't stuck as a girl -just in more fitting Slayer looking  
body that comes out at night-  
Ryoga still gets lost -he can just find Furinkin High and the Tendo  
Dojo easier now :)-  
  
Those were the biggest requests that I not mess with on this fic. I  
never planned on leaving Ranma as a girl and Ryoga is funnier when  
gets lost, he's just more useful when he can get back quicker.   
  
I'll be continuing the budding relationship between Cordelia and  
Ryoga as it'll keep him in a bit of turmoil over her, Akari. . . and  
possibly Akane still.   
  
I didn't flesh out the spell for Ryoga as I did enough magic with  
Ranma in this one.  
  
Hope you enjoy it 


End file.
